


Percy Colors

by IndigoInsane



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, Abuse of Paint Samples, Angst, Crossdressing, Drabble Collection, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Incest, M/M, Mpreg, Prostitution, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-08-02
Updated: 2011-11-22
Packaged: 2017-10-22 03:36:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 40,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/233304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IndigoInsane/pseuds/IndigoInsane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection drabbles/mini-stories all centering around Percy Weasley and the 500 paint samples I've been allowed to accumulate. 99% of them are slash and all warnings vary drabble to drabble so there is a lot of variety in genre and theme. My goal was to create something for every Percy fan while trying to control my own obsession so any suggestions for pairing or plot are cuddled and most likely written.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

****

**Spring Melt  
**

For the eighth time that hour Percy had to remind himself that Oliver’s obsession with quidditch is ultimately more endearing than infuriating. Why he had to involve Percy in his morning hikes around the lake Percy would never know.

“C`mon Perce, stop lagging behind. It’s spring already ya should have at least a bit more life in ya.” Of course Oliver was constantly running ahead and doubling back, trying to prod Percy out of his meandering pace.

“Exactly Oliver. Its spring, which means instead of the freezing snow we are now walking in the freezing rain and mud.” Why was he out here again? Ah right, Oliver promised to actually study for their next potions exam if Percy just did this one little thing with him.

Ignoring Percy’s complaining Oliver moved to walk beside him. “Ya know I was thinking about making the rest of the team do this. Really great for endurance doing this a few times a week.”

“Except you do this every morning” Percy interrupted.

“Right, but they’d never go for that. But what about just on the weekends? Every Wednesday?” Breathing heavily it looked like Oliver was seconds from dashing off ahead again. Still Percy knew he wouldn’t actually leave or stop asking him until Percy gave him his honest opinion.

Percy sighed, “Oliver I think with the constant practice in the rain and dark they would kill you if you tried forcing them into this.”

“But you went with me.” By then Oliver settled for simply jogging circles around Percy rather than running off or trying to get the other boy to move faster.

“That’s because you’re actually going to study in the library today and tomorrow.” Percy reminded him.

Oliver groaned, trying to make a show of how much the thought of spending time in the library physically pained him while still circling Percy. He tripped, barely missing a muddy puddle and a dive into the lake. Scrambling back up in a panic he grabbed Percy by the shoulders, “See what happens Perce? All ya have to do is mention that place and disaster finds me! Can’t we just study in the dorm?”

Percy was having none of that, prying the wet and freezing hands of his very clean robes he grabbed Oliver by the hand so he couldn’t run off and began walking again. “You only tripped because you were being melodramatic Oliver. Honestly, being prepared for a test isn’t a bad thing.”

Still acting melancholy Oliver trailed behind as much as Percy would let him, “No I wasn’t, I just don’t see why we can’t study in the dorm.”

“Because I am protected by the fact that we are in front of dozens of people so you can’t try to distract me through advances upon my virtue.”

Stumbling a little Oliver caught up to Percy, “Are you saying I would jump you?”

“I’m saying you have Oliver and I’m not standing it anymore. You will walk into the potions classroom perfectly prepared next Monday or I will die trying.” Percy’s voice had gotten much darker, the determination and responsibilities of Perfect Prefect Percy settling in.

Practically seeing the cogs turning in Percy’s mind Oliver knew he was not going to get his way this time. “What about after the studying? Can I exercise my intentions upon your virtue then?”

“By all means your intentions would be most welcome.”

 **

Charismatic  


**  
Percy still wasn’t sure how he had been led into Lucius Malfoy’s bed. He supposed it had something to do with the late nights at the Ministry or the stress of a new dark regime settling over the wizarding world. Well, stressful on Percy’s part, Lucius had taken to the new ministry and his position in it like a dragon to treasure.

But that wouldn’t explain the…Percy hesitated to think, tenderness from the older man. Yes Percy was perfectly well aware that he was the mistress to be kept secreted away and would not be taking the place of his beloved, perfect wife. However when people had started to disappear Percy had found himself ignored. He had seen the notes in his file, stating although his family may have been filled with blood traitors his skills within the ministry could still be useful. All in the familiar handwriting of his lover.

Percy had never told him what he had seen but he was still sure Lucius knew, after getting to know him it had simply become a given factor in any situation.

“Come back to bed.” It certainly wasn’t a request and Percy didn’t mind leaving his chilly spot by the window for the warmth and comfort of the bed. An arm curled around him as he slipped under the sheets, “The Carrow’s are hosting a dinner next week.”

“That’s nice.” Percy mumbled as he shuffled closer to Lucius.

“No it is not.” Lucius corrected, “They have certain ideas for entertainment. Ideas that involve half-bloods and blood traitors that happen to work in the ministry,” The arm around him pulled Percy those extra few inches so Percy’s back was curled against Lucius’s chest.

“Oh.” Percy wasn’t quite sure what to say, he was certainly used to death threats by now but hearing of actual plans was something else. “I’ll be sure to stay in a muggle hotel.”

“You will be in Russia.” Travel out of the country let alone to one of the last countries in Europe to hold out against Lord Voldemort had nearly become impossible.

Still Percy didn’t question Lucius, if he said Percy would be in Russia by next week then he would be. “What about-”

“She’s dead. For a year now.” Sensing the pain in the older man’s voice Percy turned around so that he could face him.

“I was going to ask about you and Draco.” The younger Malfoy had no idea about their affair although Percy had his suspicions; he could only make personal visits to the Malfoy estate so many times in a week to ‘straighten out some paperwork’, especially when they worked in separate departments.

“Of course,” the look of anguish over his wife’s death was gone, replaced with the calculating look Percy had become accustomed to only seeing at work. “Draco and Severus will be joining you; I will follow in a few days.”

“Why not leave with us?” Percy had to admit even with the confidence and trust he placed with Lucius something about leaving the man left him unsettled.

“There are still many business matters that need to be discreetly settled.” The tone of Lucius’s voice settled it; Percy would be leaving whenever and Lucius would not be joining them. A few times Percy had tried to argue with Lucius and it had gotten him nowhere but frustrated. “The three of you will leave tomorrow through a portkey Severus will be bringing here.”

“Can I at least stay until then?” Even with an evil regime Percy couldn’t remember a day he had taken off of work. Lucius Malfoy having a personal day was nothing new though and Percy was sure no one would connect the two being absent.

Lucius pretended to think about it for a few agonizing moments, “Of course, it has been to long since I took a day to indulge myself.”

As Lucius pulled back the covers and moved on top of him Percy put his worries at the back of his mind. Right now he was safe and had his lover’s undivided attention and that was more than enough for him.

 **

Sea Glass Green  


**  
Marcus sat alone in the common room. Normally on a Friday evening it would be very crowded but word had spread quickly throughout the Slytherin house that Marcus was out for blood and his boyfriend Percy was nowhere in sight. Said boyfriend was actually the cause of Marcus’s murderous rage.

It had started that afternoon with a pendant. A truly beautiful green pendant made of glass with a Celtic knot design. Percy had found the lovely gift at the bottom of his cauldron during potions and had been very happy. The only problem was that Marcus hadn’t gotten Percy anything and everyone in the damn school had better know that the younger boy is taken.

They had argued after class and things had only escalated when Percy had refused to throw it out or admit who else he was sleeping with. Outraged Percy had stormed off to Merlin knows where leaving Marcus to glare at a cat that had dared wander into his space and admit that perhaps he had been hasty with his accusations.

Only slightly though, Percy may be oblivious to everything without a book stuck to it but Marcus had seen more than a few roaming eyes. Of course he had been quick to track down the bodies that went with the eyes and threaten removal of several bits but one can never be too sure.

Having scared off the cat Marcus was getting ready to circle the castle yet again in search of his redhead when the common room entrance opened to reveal a very cheerful Percy. “Well Marcus I’ve met your competition for my affections. She’s eleven years old but given how polite she is and her tendency towards not calling me a slut you might actually have to put up a fight.”

A first year with a crush had been Marcus’s greatest threat? Anger was quickly replaced with embarrassment. “The damn thing didn’t exactly come with a name tag.”

“I know.” Percy wasn’t bothered by the lack of an apology; he knew he would get a mumbled one sometime when Marcus thought he couldn’t hear it. “Let’s go to dinner, I think the rest of your house wants their common room back and I’ll let you glare at every threatening first year.”

Of course Percy was kidding but sitting on a bench in the great hall Marcus made sure to keep an arm around Percy’s waist. Some habits are just too hard to break.

 **

Coffee Clutch  


**  


With a sigh Percy pried open the window. Honestly, being snubbed by your lover to the point where you have to resort to breaking and entering. “Severus? Are you in here?” Honestly between the dust, lack of any sort of light and clutter Percy couldn’t tell if the former Professor was right in front of him. Calling out again Percy heard clattering coming from the kitchen and he stumbled his way towards it.

The kitchen was in much better shape, lamps were even lit to accent the lack of mess. Severus was hunched over the counter holding a cup of something. “There isn’t enough grounds to be brewing another pot but I can always offer something else,” Coffee, of course. Percy had sworn several times that introducing Severus to it had been his greatest mistake.

“No thank you.” Percy said briskly as he took a seat at the table. “You left me waiting twice this week Severus. Is something bothering you?”

Slowly and silently Severus joined Percy at the table, “I could say the thought of another Weasley soon to be entering the world makes sleep near impossible.” Percy smiled, that hadn’t stopped him from coming with Percy to Fleur’s baby  
shower. But he wasn’t falling for it.

“You could say that, however I’m convinced there must be another reason you haven’t left your flat. I talked to the neighbors so tread carefully Severus.” Dear Mrs. Fiddlestien was always good for a biscuit and gossip.  
For a split second the look Severus gave him convinced Percy that Oliver had been right and their professor really did posses the ability to make someone’s head explode. Just as suddenly Severus was staring intently into his mug. “Potter’s insufferable optimism will surely bring us to ruin.”

Prying the mug from Severus’s clutches he took a sip of the much too strong coffee while thinking of a reply. “I think at this point you could always retire to Casablanca and go unbothered.”

“And suffer the complete inability to get quality knotgrass?” Waving off Percy’s attempt to slide the coffee back towards him Severus got up to pour himself another cup. “I will never return to Scandinavia, Africa and the tropics are unbearably hot, Asia presents too much of a language barrier and I find myself unable to stand the rest of the English speaking world.”

Percy couldn’t help but smile even as Severus glared at him for having the audacity to steal his favorite mug. “Then I’m sorry to say that staying here will have to do. Maybe I can get you out of this flat and convince you this isn’t too horrible a tragedy?” Damn, he sounded to pleading but Percy was desperate.

“The star grass balm will start to spark if left alone.” Of course, potions, also known as the other love of Severus’s life and the bane of Percy’s existence. Not that his jealousy had stopped him from taking the advanced class and earning a new perfect score on his NEWTS.

“Then we’ll wait until it’s finished.” It would give Percy time to finish his paperwork and sort out who would do what while he was gone.

“I haven’t started it yet.” Instead of sitting back down Severus had moved to stand in the doorway leading down to his workshop. Obviously Percy was being kicked out after going through the effort of making sure the older man was still alive.

Slamming his mug down Percy made sure he had Severus’s full attention before he spoke. “Severus, do you really want me here? Because I want to be and I’m sick of feeling unwelcome.”

For a few moments Percy felt like the direct approach might have been a mistake until Severus opened the door leading downstairs. “There’s more coffee in the cupboard. I might start the grass balm if certain aurors can avoid peril long enough for me to restock their blood replenishing supply.” Of course Severus scurried off before Percy could provide a proper reply but that hardly mattered, he had a vacation to start planning.


	2. Chapter

Disclaimer that I forgot last chapter: I own absolutely nothing whatsoever except the joy I get from writing this.

Opal

Flicking the lights on in his office Percy stumbled inside while gripping a warm cup of tea and several files. Carefully setting them down on his desk it wasn't until Percy had hung his cloak up and changed his window view that he noticed the small box on his desk.

Well, it most likely wasn't cursed to have gotten through all the security regulations. Cautiously Percy picked it up and tried to remember if it was any sort of holiday. It weighed less than his coffee and the box easily fit in the palm of his hand, around the perfect size for a prank from the twins.

Muttering to himself Percy stuck it in an unimportant drawer and began searching for a quill. The twins could only send him so many dungbombs and gnomes charmed to sing dirty limericks before Percy gave up on unsigned package. He would probably return it when he met Fred and George after work for dinner.

Hours later and consumed by negotiations for the location of the next Quidditch world cup the little package was forgotten as Percy left work, and again the next day. A couple of weeks passed and every once in a while Percy would remember something about needing to return a box right in time for a new intern to accidently flood the corridor. After a couple of months the box was shoved to the back of the drawer to make room for pictures of Percy's baby niece.

Inside that box a milky white piece of opal set in a silver band waited with a simple note:

I love you Percy, say you love me to.

Stagecoach

"Driver! Hold the stagecoach please!" Through the rain and muck a voice called out causing the stagecoach to lurch to a halt. Impatient, Severus was about to knock against the window to tell the driver to hurry up when the door opened to reveal a wet lump of cloth topped with a blur of red hair.

"Thank you sir, I'll bother you no further." The door was slammed shut and Severus found his peace quite disturbed. Climbing into the seat across Severus he saw the bundle shift slightly until a hand was reached out towards him. "I'm Percy Weasley, third son of Baron Arthur Weasley and Baroness Molly Prewitt."

"I'm familiar with the name." Severus sneered, yet another impoverished noble family with too many children looking to throw them upon the crown. "I assume you're heading towards the capital?"

Seeing Severus wasn't going to shake his hand Percy reached over to pull his cloak down to reveal his face. Surprised Severus noticed that the boy wasn't entirely horrible to look at for a near commoner. "Yes, I'm to work under Lord Crouch."

Ah, an incompetent fool if Severus had ever met one. A fool with a ruthless son fond of his father's younger charges. There was no doubt about where this Weasley would end up, possible a scandal but most likely kept quiet by Crouch Junior's overprotective mother. Things could certainly be worse; it would certainly fix that naivety he could actually feel coming from the boy. Severus didn't catch himself asking anything until it was too late, "Just what will your duties be?"

"Didn't my parents or Marques Kingsley tell you sir? I am to seduce you in order to ascertain if your political leanings sway towards Duke Dumbledore or Prince Riddle. Why else would I stop a carriage in the middle of the night on its way to London?" If Severus was shocked he certainly hid it well while Percy simply smiled. "I wasn't supposed to tell you that."

"I can see that line of reasoning. But what puzzles me is why such paragons of morality would send their own child to warm their potential enemy's bed?" The carriage stuttered several times as it made the transition from cobble to dirt. It wouldn't be until late morning that the two reached their destination, barring ill weather.

Feeling a bit warmer Percy peeled off his thick cloak to reveal a well toned and modestly dressed body. "Those were more the Marques's words then my parents. I believe they have more than a cloudy idea about the details then they would care to admit though." Moving slightly towards the window the boy conjured a book from somewhere, "Do not worry my Lord, I have no intention to follow my supposed mission or assist either side in their bid for the throne. I simply believed you should know that you are being watched."

As Percy began to read Severus rethought his opinion, perhaps this child was more capable then he had imagined. He could even prove to be an amusing diversion from this brewing feud. "If you ever grow sick of either Crouch's advances my chamber are always open for a game of chess."

Only briefly looking up Percy offered the same quiet smile, "I would like that."

Severus caught himself smiling as well, "Very well." Perhaps this season at court wouldn't be so infuriatingly dull after all.

Chili Pepper

After moving to his own flat Percy had been quite happy to find a charming restaurant just down the street. The owner's obsession with peppers hadn't deterred him at all; Percy was actually quite fond of them.

Throughout the falling out with his family, war and eventual reconstruction Percy was definitely a regular even after he moved halfway across town. Of course that would make him very predictable, a dangerous habit with rogue deatheaters still loose. Still, just like every other Saturday evening Percy stepped up to the counter for their usual order and was shocked to hear a familiar voice behind him.

"Perce?" Oliver, it had certainly been a while and Percy would have preferred they never meet again. Placing his order with the very kind witch behind the counter Percy made a point of walking away to the pickup area without acknowledging the other man. Oliver still followed him, even when Percy turned his back to him completely. "Please Percy. C'mon, I just want to apologize."

Unable to resist the urge to lash out Percy moved to face Oliver, "For what Oliver? I seem to remember you yelling that you have nothing to apologize for." Percy tried not to be happy when Oliver flinched. He failed.

"For being a complete ass. For walking out on you and acting blind." The server wasn't the only one staring when Percy picked up his order. Grabbing the two bags Percy headed for the door with Oliver following. They were out onto the sidewalk when Percy replied.

"You're forgiven. Now go away." Oliver didn't, instead as Percy tried to walk away he found an iron grip on his arm. "Let me go Oliver."

Reluctantly Oliver did. "Let me make it up to you somehow." Oliver pleaded. "Please Percy I feel like something you'd find in a pile of dragon dung."

Impressed by his ex's honesty Percy finally looked him in the eye, "I appreciate it Oliver, really I do. I wouldn't mind having lunch with you sometime but right now I have someone waiting for me."

Percy only made it a few steps before Oliver caught up to him. "Who?"

This was something that had nearly caused another falling out with his family. "Marcus Flint," he sighed.

"Oh." Well this was already much better than telling his family. "Slytherin Flint? The one that bashed my brains in with a bludger?"

"Yes." Why couldn't anyone Percy knew have a good memory of Flint?

"Is he nice?" Yes this was definitely much, much better than having to tell his family.

"You've met him before Oliver." Percy remembered he hadn't thought to ask for extra roasted peppers.

"Right. Is he mean to you?" Ah, ever mind, they were still in one of the bags between the rice and the soup. "Perce?" Percy looked up to a concerned Oliver, "He treats ya well doesn't he? Cause if he doesn't…"

"He treats me fine Oliver. I feel more loved then I ever have." Percy re-cast the warming charm just to be sure.

"Coming from your family that's not much Percy and let's be honest I treated you like crap." Maybe this wasn't going as well as Percy thought it was.

"I'm happy. Why don't you visit me at work tomorrow?" Checking his watch Percy realized he should have been home ages ago. "I have to go Oliver. Say hello to your mother and hug the cat for me would you? You'll have to tell me whether or not your father received his promotion or not." Even as he was speaking Percy was walking down the street. "Goodbye Oliver."

Three weeks later they had met to eat out twice and Oliver was feeling much better. Who knew Flint had a habit of sending flowers to his lover's office?

Red Rose Bouquet

Percy woke up to roses. Lots and lots of roses. Some were scattered on the bed but most were suspended in the air in front of him. Unable to comprehend what he was seeing Percy sat in bed until Oliver ripped the curtain aside.

"Wow. Um, congratulations?" Mindful of the roses Percy slid out of bed to stand next to Oliver. They both stared at the bed for a moment before Oliver spoke again, "Any ideas who…"

"Broke into our dorm, presumably watched me sleep and then enchanted dozens of prickly things above me head?" Percy finished.

"Ya know I was thinking this was real romantic and you have to come in and make it really creepy." Percy honestly wasn't sure if Oliver was being honest or not.

"Why don't we go to breakfast and see if the house elves have this cleaned up after classes." Percy suggested.

They were both dressed and in the great hall in record time eating breakfast and waiting for the mail. Discretely Percy tried to see if anyone was acting unusual but between that Lovegood girl and Creevy everyone seemed to stand out in one way or another. He sighed before turning to his food, what had happened to acting respectable in public?

"Is something bothering you?" Startled Percy looked up from his eggs to see a concerned Penelope sitting next to him.

"Someone left roses in Percy's bed last night. While we were sleeping." Oliver replied from across them. "We're not really sure what to feel, creeped outs kind of up there." Penelope was silent for a moment while struggling to think of something to say.

"Well, perhaps they had better intentions." She argued while Percy focused on his pumpkin juice. Even for the twins this would be a bit too cruel, maybe Jordan acting on his own? Or one of the Slytherin's he had recently caught with stolen cigars outside of Honeydukes?

"I don't know," Said Oliver while reaching for more bacon. "Who wouldn't be a little freaked out? Mostly flattered of course but a note or something would have been nice."

Percy coughed, "The mails here. Do you still get the paper Penny? There should be an article on the meeting with Bulgaria I would like to read when you're done with it."

"Yes of course Percy, you take the international section while I browse business." Penelope waved off. Turning back to Oliver she continued, "Do you have any idea who it was?"

Tuning out the conversation Percy tilted his head back to observe the flurry of owls swooping over them. Out of the corner of his eye Percy saw a blur of red. Then another, and another, all getting closer. Please dear Merlin no. Soon Percy could easily pick out a dozen owls carrying several red roses at a time.

A barn owl was the first one to land almost on top of Percy's breakfast. "See, that's just sweet." Penelope said.

"Absolutely, good and normal," Oliver agreed while Percy picked up the roses. The barn owl flew off with a cheerful hoot right away as a small black owl landed with more roses. Percy grabbed those ones as well only for three more owls to arrive. Soon Oliver and Penelope had to help set aside the roses while the owls just kept coming. Without a doubt most people were staring and some were even laughing.

Eventually the owls did stop coming and all three of them were left with large armfuls or roses. "Do you two still think this is sweet?" Percy mumbled as they started the trip back to Gryffindor tower.

"Yes." Penelope smiled, "I think this person is crazy about you."

"Crazy, that fits." Oliver grumbled and that was it for conversation while they tried not to be jostled too much. Several people stopped them and Percy had to remind himself not to be hurt when they commented on how lucky Oliver or Penelope were. His friends always made a point to correct them but that just made it worse when he saw their surprise.

The roses were still on the bed when they reached Percy and Oliver's dorm room. Oliver dumped the roses he had carried on top of the bed and Percy followed suit.

"These are really nice roses." Instead of following the boys Penelope got out her wand to transfigure a vase from a cup on the bedside table. With a bit of coercing Oliver and Percy helped her create vases for the rest of the flowers and placed them throughout the room. Percy couldn't help but smile at the beautiful sight before remembering that by then he was at least ten minutes late for charms.

Parting with Penelope as she headed for potions the boys snuck into class as Professor Flitwick was explaining a rather complicated charm recorded to have only been cast once by a witch from the fourteenth century.

They continued with their classes, keeping an eye out for more roses of course but aside from the teasing and questioning looks things were fairly normal. After dinner Oliver headed off to the quidditch pitch of course and Percy decided on a bit of studying in the library. Perhaps if he had a bit of spare time he could look up that witch.

Distracted by this Percy didn't notice the sound of a door opening behind him until it was too late and he was being dragged inside. As the door slammed shut Percy looked up to see who still had a grip around the back of his neck.

"Malfoy?" Draco Malfoy actually, Percy remembered tutoring the brat several times in herbology. Standing up straight so that Malfoy was forced to let go or stand on his tiptoes Percy noticed that in one hand was a dozen roses. "You did this?"

"Obviously."

That left only one question. "Why?"

The flowers were practically shoved in his face. "Just clear your schedule for the next Hogsmeade weekend." Before Percy could reply Malfoy had already left.

Just where did Draco get his romantic advice?

Botanical Green

After their trek around the lake Percy had sworn that he would never venture outside with Oliver again. Especially after last week when Percy had ended up having to clean grass stains and pick branches out of his hair.

However Percy had seen Oliver's last several tests in herbology and hadn't been able to ignore it. So instead of spending the rainy, cold and overall miserable Saturday morning in the common room they were inside the edge of the Forbidden Forrest. Kneeling in the mud Percy continued his search for unusual specimens while Oliver darted in and out of his sight. "Percy? Is this it?"

Percy looked up to see Oliver holding a speckled red and white mushroom. "No Oliver, that's crumblecap. We're looking for Alda's crumblecap; it has little blue spots in the center."

Without a further glance Oliver tossed the mushroom aside before sitting down. "Why are we out here?"

"Because Professor Sprout was kind enough to offer you extra credit to help your awful habit of never studying," Percy scolded. Moving aside some leaves he continued his search a little closer to a fallen tree.

Without standing up Oliver started to shuffle closer to Percy. "Yeah, I'm a horrible student but why are you here? Your grades are perfect."

Embarrassed Percy redoubled his efforts. "I couldn't properly explain the difference between alderoot and briskweed on our last exam." Batting away a much closer Oliver Percy pointed to the other side of the clearing. "Search over there Oliver. And don't forget Professor Sprout will accept rare or unusual specimens in lieu of the Alda's crumblecap."

"Really?" Plucking the something off the ground at random he held it up for Percy to see. "Something like this?"

"Oliver, that's grass."

"Oh." Silently they resumed their search. For all of five minutes maybe, Oliver couldn't resist the urge to show Percy everything he saw. Everything. Oftentimes more than once until Percy was very close to calling it quits or leaving Oliver alone in the woods.

"Oliver. I want you to listen very carefully. Unless you find the one specific thing we are looking for I don't want to hear a word. Understood?" The look on Percy's face was downright scary, meaning Oliver was very quick to nod in agreement. "Good. Now-What's that in your hand?"

Looking down at the little green…something Oliver had scraped off a tree. "I don't know. And I wasn't going to ask."

"It's fine Oliver." Cracking his back slightly Percy finally stood up to walk over to Oliver. "Does it feel more slimy or smooth? What about weight?" Before Oliver could stand up or answer Percy had a grip on his wrist and was poking at it.

"Can we go inside now? Please?" Oliver pleaded. Breakfast seemed like forever ago and if it started raining any harder he was going to drown. "Is this some sort of special plant that will make me grow wings or something?"

"Oh no," Percy replied. "Its common fire moss but it should start to burn very soon. If we don't get you to the hospital wing you might not be able to play keeper in the Ravenclaw match."

Oliver practically carried Percy up to Madam Pomfrey to get the gunk off him. Assured that Oliver would be fine Percy left after promising to meet him during dinner.

Until then he was going back to the Forbidden Forrest to complete his task unbothered.

Tuckers Truck

After nearly an hour of awkward silence and trying to only stare at the highway zipping by Percy finally decided he should try to talk to Marcus. It certainly wasn't easy when he noticed the death grip Marcus had on the steering wheel or downright murderous glare but Percy reminded himself that his boyfriend wasn't mad at him. Well, actually Marcus probably was but that was just a part of the rugby player, he was always mad at everybody and everything just at varying degrees. So Percy should be able to say something without getting pushed out of the still moving truck.

"So…your parents didn't know?" Marcus didn't turn to face him or show any reaction besides flipping of an old sedan.

"Weren't supposed be home." Well that certainly explained a lot. Mainly why Mr. and Mrs. Flint had been surprised to see the two of them in a very…intimate position on their living room couch. Just thinking about it made Percy's ear burn. Needless to say things hadn't gone over very well and had ended in a near fistfight before Marcus had dragged them into his pickup and started driving.

Where they were going suddenly became the last thing on Percy's mind. "Oh. I'm sorry Marcus. Do you need somewhere to stay?" His parents certainly didn't like Marcus but given the circumstances they were bound to be understanding.

Marcus looked at him with pure exasperation, "They won't cancel any of the cards. Stop looking all girly, it's not like I'm fond of `em." Percy had heard more than one rant about his parents to back that up. Still, Marcus had to feel something; some of the things they had said were horrible!

Ignoring every tale about emotionally compromised drivers and the perils of distraction on the road Percy slid over until he was pressed against Marcus's side and the older boy took a hand off the wheel to wrap around him. "You aren't bothered at all?"

"Isn't that what I just said?" Now Marcus was starting to sound annoyed. "Jesus it's not like you walked out on me or somethin."

Percy looked up at Marcus, "What did you say?"

"Just shut up till we get to the cabin."

 

Author's Notes: There it is, chapter 2 and much sooner than I expected.

Opal-It started out as a Marcus/Percy one with them staying at the burrow for dinner but I'll be honest I'm not too fond of a few of how a few of the Weasleys treat Percy so it was too difficult to write. Besides I like this much more.

Stagecoach-Yay! A wildly AU little one that was insanely fun to write. The dialogue was my favorite part, although I was nervous writing from Snape's point of view.

Chili Pepper-It was hard not to turn this insanely depressing.

Red Rose Bouquet-Even when writing this I had no idea who was sending the flowers. None whatsoever but The Twin helped me choose Draco because well…I had pretty much eliminated everyone else and thought why not?

Botanical Green-Cute, I instantly knew what I wanted with this one.

Tucker's Truck-This one had a rocky start and I ended up having to start over a couple times but I'm happy with it now.

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	3. Chapters 3-8

Honey Pot

Baking was definitely not one of Percy's skills. Not to mention he really shouldn't be attempting something as complicated as a Madam Ross's honey cake in his tiny kitchen. But Percy was still going to succeed at this or die trying.

Still occasionally glaring at the oven Percy started to gather the ingredients for the syrupy coating. Hearing a clatter from the direction of the oven Percy jumped only to swear when he accidentally knocked a bowl over that shattered against the floor.

"Percy?" Why was Oliver home early?

Leaning against the counter Percy continued to pick shards of glass out of his foot. "I'm baking; you're picking up take-out for dinner."

"Is this about what my mother said? `Cause I don't care if you're not a baker, I'd get fat if you were and then I'd get kicked of the team and we'd have to move out of our lovely flat." Easy for Oliver to say, he wasn't the one being glared at as Mother Wood commented on how her son was wasting away.

Casting a simple healing charm Percy started to measure out the ingredients again just as the chime went off. "Damn it!"

Turning back to the oven Percy nearly ran right into Oliver as he was already bent over the oven. "Let me help ya out here. If I'm gonna get fat and blame you later then you're going to want to say I had a hand in my undoing."

"Fine," Happy to be rid of that stupid cake Percy turned back towards the simpler task of mixing the syrup. "You can help with the brownies tomorrow."

Temptation

Fascination was a good way to describe their first meeting. Temptation was more honest.

Sitting in an overstuffed chair Lucius was patiently thinking of ways he could teach Fudge not to keep him waiting without making the near useless man think he was important enough to warrant his disdain. Finally hearing the door open Lucius was surprised to see a familiar shade of red hair. Quickly and with an unexpected amount of grace Percy walked across the room to set a tray of tea on the desk in front of him. "Minister Fudge apologizes for the wait Mr. Malfoy. He will be here quite soon."

Lucius leaned back with a smirk, "These are the Minister's own words?"

Percy turned a shade of red nearly bright enough to match his hair, "Not quite." He mumbled before continuing in a panic, "However Minister Fudge is very busy at the moment and surely would have sent me if he wasn't so preoccupied."

The rambling would have continued if Lucius hadn't interrupted, "Don't be afraid to advance yourself at the expense of others, I doubt Fudge has done anything to truly earn your loyalty." In that moment as Percy stared at the desk unable to unpin himself from Lucius's gaze the older man saw an innocence; delicate desire to do what's right in need of corrupting. Percy saw the power and sophistication he craved.

Lucius left with Percy before Fudge could come stumbling in with half apologies. They ate lunch at the manor, something that would soon become a habit. By the end of the week Percy was working in Lucius's office and they were both putting in longer hours. Oftentimes the two would take a break in the evening with a brief stroll outside, possible stopping for an early dinner.

One of these walks brought them to a small park neither of them had known about. Stopping to sit on a suitably clean bench they continued their conversation. "Having to cater to the muggleborns only takes away from our own children's education," Lucius argued.

"Perhaps," Percy agreed. Hesitantly he brought up his own point, "Isn't that our own fault? Hogwarts records the name of every witch and wizard at birth yet we wait eleven years before tossing them into a completely foreign world the summer before their first term. Even after that shocking experience there is no official effort to teach muggleborns proper wizard society or etiquette. It hardly seems fair to blame them for their ignorance when they're offered nothing."

It was difficult but Percy managed to resist the urge to look away from Lucius's critical gaze. "You may have a point." Of course he was just humoring the boy. They had already repeated this conversation many times before and Lucius always managed to unravel Percy's logic. "The Ministry certainly doesn't have the funds for introductory courses and I highly doubt any sane witch or wizard would see any justice in having to pay for another child's early education." Lucius sneered, "Especially when it becomes increasingly obvious they are incapable of providing their own children with any knowledge."

Their conversation moved elsewhere as they started the walk back, but not before Lucius was satisfied that he had proven himself right. Over the following weeks Lucius and Percy began to work less in the evenings and take more stops along their walks.

Lucius eyed his young protégé openly, finding reasons to touch him as he enjoyed Percy's increasingly flustered reactions. Patience was certainly a virtue but several months after meeting Percy Lucius had had enough of it. Leaning across the chess table Lucius gave Percy a surprisingly chaste kiss before standing up. "We can continue this later." Without a glance back Lucius began walking towards his bedroom and waited for Percy to follow.

Neither one was surprised Percy quickly reached Lucius. After all, every man has a certain weakness to temptation.

Sunnyside Up

One certainly couldn't call Percy an optimistic person. A realist yes, but that was rarely a compliment. It didn't matter though because compared to Severus he is a ball of sunshine.

Being his lover (Percy had used the word 'boyfriend' once and hadn't dared approach Severus until a full twenty-four hours later) obligated Percy to occasionally shake Severus from his cynicism before he became depressed. Normally it was simple enough, pointing out a not completely useless student or digging up the right book. Little things to brighten the older man's day that Percy often enjoyed as well.

Recently things had become much more difficult and Percy was actually starting to feel worried. Skipping a side trip to his own flat he had rushed to Severus's personal quarters at Hogwarts. Settling in a comfortable chair by the fire Percy had waited for his lover to arrive so they could discuss taking a vacation together before the summer was over. Over two hours later Percy had decided it was time to go searching for him.

Setting aside the book he had found on the coffee table and slowly standing up Percy only made it halfway to the door before Severus was on him. Pushing him against the wall Severus had already undone the buttons on Percy's robe and was busy marking up his collarbone with little bites and nibbles that drove Percy near crazy. This was probably his favorite way of cheering Severus up by far, especially as impatient hands simply pushed under the waistband of his pants without bothering to pull them down.

Later Severus would explain that he was late because he had to keep his last class late until they understood to importance of proper measurements while Percy nodded in agreement.

For now Percy coaxed his arms into action and wondered if they were going to make it to the bedroom this time.

Windwood Spring

They were lost and without their wands which in Percy's mind meant he and Oliver were doomed to roam the English countryside until they starved or succumbed to the elements. Oliver seemed to think this was all a delightful adventure to brag about to his friends when the school year started.

Exhausted and hungry Percy huddled against a tree while keeping an eye on Oliver to make sure he didn't run off further into the woods. Completely oblivious to Percy's suffering the other boy was more than happy to poke at various plant life. "Hey Percy, do ya think these ones are edible?"

"Oliver, those are blackberries. I would certainly hope so." Undeterred by Percy's sarcasm Oliver began munching away. Plucking a handful he walked over to Percy.

"Ya want some?" It was in that moment that he gave up on being mad at Oliver. There simply wasn't any point in it. Besides, it wasn't as if Oliver had intentionally grabbed the damaged portkey his mother had been meaning to dispose of. Yes, it was in no way Oliver's fault that they weren't currently a quiet holiday in Spain with Oliver's uncle. Percy just had to keep telling himself that.

Grabbing a few of the best looking ones Percy tried them. Not bad, they actually tasted quite sweet. "Thank you Oliver." At least one problem was solved, moving back to where Oliver had found the berries the two moved along the bushes to find the best ones. The weather was warm, but not horribly so and with Oliver constantly offering the best branches Percy was actually starting to feel a little happier.

Until he fell into a pool of water. Coughing and looking very similar (not that Oliver would admit it) to a drowned cat Percy stumbled his way to the shore where Oliver was waiting for him looking at a small, weather-worn sign.

"It's a hot spring!" Hauling Percy up Oliver pointed at the sign. "See these wizards found it ages ago, even though we're probably nowhere near Bath. So anyways after they found it they cast some muggle repelling charms and voila!"

"Yes Oliver, I can read." That certainly explained why the water had been so hot and even now Percy could see a thin wisp of steam floating away. At least it wasn't cold, Percy remembered enough showers in the winter to hate being cold and wet. Honestly, if Percy went through the effort to cast a few heating charms in the prefect's bathroom the others could at least extend the courtesy.

While Percy was wrapped up in his own inner rant Oliver began undressing. Around the time he got to his underwear and was taking a couple steps towards the hot spring. Seeing the confused look Percy was giving him Oliver pointed towards the water. "Aren't we going to swim?" Off went the smalls as Oliver stuck a toe in. "Oh, we should get one of these in the locker rooms."

Obviously Oliver had gone completely insane but Percy was hardly in a position to argue, he was a normal teenage boy on some level anyways. Seeing his boyfriend completely nude and splashing about was very…pleasant. Besides, his clothes needed to dry off anyways and it was a might chilly out.

Coming to a decision Percy began to neatly peel off his clothes and set them aside. "Are ya going to join me Perce? I'm getting lonely over here."

"Just a moment," Shedding the last of his clothes Percy half expected someone to leap from the bushes. Walking quickly to where the water was waist deep Percy let Oliver hold him. "See this is nice, we can find our way back later and say we had a good time."

Murmuring in agreement Percy let himself relax and lean in closer to Oliver. Maybe he would trust him with the portkey again someday.

Bowbells

Percy should have ran the moment he heard giggling. But no, Percy just had to shrug and say a mob of devious girls was part of dating Penelope. They had approached him as Percy was waiting for Penelope outside the Ravenclaw tower.

Stupid Percy had thought they were being nice when they told him Penelope had been the library for ten minutes already.

And now, Percy was in a dress. Not just any dress either, but a blue frilly one with enough lace and bows to make a five year old Ginny lovesick.

Huddling behind a statue in a hopefully abandoned corridor Percy was planning his apology to Penelope for standing her up because there was simply no way he was leaving until he was sure no one would see him. He could already imagine, with his luck Snape would catch him trying to sneak back his dorm after curfew. With a very quiet sigh Percy closed his eyes and curled up a little more.

"Percy? Are you ok?" The relief at hearing Penelope's voice was killed by the humor in her voice.

Looking up Percy saw that his girlfriend could at least resist the urge to laugh, if only barely. "Your friends are evil. Transfigure my robes back?"

Now Penelope did laugh. "I'm sorry Percy they took my wand to. Didn't you notice anything different about me?"

Feeling like an idiot Percy realized that Penelope's standard Hogwarts uniform had been transfigured into some very dashing dress robes. Staying behind the statue Percy stood up, trying not to trip and snap his neck because of his new shoes. "Why do you get to be the attractive one?"

Percy felt much better when Penelope smiled, "I think we both look very charming." Taking a few steps forward so that she could wrap her arms around Percy Penelope asked, "How do you think they found out about our little hobby?"

Blushing Percy could only shrug, "I can only hope your evil friends aren't also voyeurs."

Powder Room

When Percy had to leave for his own flat the thing he had been the most taken with was the fact that this was one-hundred percent his own space. A place where no one could barge in wearing only their underwear and eat the last of the marshmallows. No more tacky floral prints or crushed toes for Percy, instead he had a place to call his.

Except for the corner bathroom or as the nice real estate witch had called it, the 'powder room'. In all honesty Percy hated everything about that room. Especially the red tile. It reminded him to much of wine.

There really wasn't anything Percy could do though; any effort to fix the room would only make him hate it more.

Glancing at the clock Percy actually groaned before setting his coffee cup back in the sink. It was getting late and he needed to be ready soon. The clothes would be easy enough, the less the better was the general rule. As for makeup or anything Percy knew tonight's client to be fairly tame so none of that thank Merlin. It didn't matter how many times he applied it or was complemented, he still felt ridicules all done up. Especially all the stupid eye gunk, it was messy, uncomfortable and nearly impossible to get just right…

With one last glance at the kitchen Percy forced himself to stop procrastinating. It was a new habit he had picked up, yet another thing his younger self would be ashamed of.

Taking the few steps across the living room Percy opened the door to the powder room. Aside from a toilet and sink he had managed to cram a small dresser into one corner. Tossing his pajamas out the door he chose something to wear at random. Everything in the dresser was the same shade of black or blue so matching really wasn't an issue. If Percy needed to actually stay dressed for more than a few moments he had proper clothes in his room.

A quick look in the mirror and Percy was rushing out, only briefly glancing to see if there was any new information from Kingsley waiting for him on the coffee table. Last time they had been able to meet he had promised Percy that his parents didn't know exactly how he was getting his information for the Order. But Percy was starting to have his doubts, especially after that letter the twins sent.

Nothing was there of course, and with one last longing glance at the all too comfortable couch Percy headed outside.

Brown Sugar

Percy knew to be very, very quiet. The fact that he was allowed to sit in the corner while Severus was busy brewing a potion in his personal lab was a huge privilege that he didn't want to lose.

Still, there was something that was bothering him. Waiting until Severus was hunched over a cauldron Percy took a few hesitant steps forward and smelled the air. Brown sugar and it was definitely coming from where several cauldrons were simmering.

In all his years taking potions Percy couldn't recall ever using any sort of baking ingredients or reading about their use beyond cookbooks. Still, after years of his mothers cooking Percy could recognize the smell of cooked brown sugar anywhere.

Without realizing it Percy had already taken a few more steps forward to stand in front of one of the long, worn out tables Severus used for laying out tools and ingredients. Severus glared at him from across the table but resumed crushing the arrowroot. "I told you not to get in my way."

Hearing no real bite in Severus's voice Percy felt free to continue looking around, spotting several items of questionable legality but nothing else unusual. "I'm not in the way. Did you finish grading our papers?" Diversion tactics never worked with Severus but Percy wanted to avoid having to ask why his lab smelled like a bakery.

"They can wait until next week." Percy is convinced that Severus's harsh grading is because he has to stay up late into the night before grades are due. Of course he did perfectly fine (before they began their relationship thank you) but Severus was likely to be in a horrible mood for days afterword.

"There aren't as many students this year." Percy said amiably. Suddenly the smell became much stronger; surely Severus must know this was driving him crazy. "What's that smell?"

Severus looked him as if he was an idiot. "Brown sugar."

Percy waved him off, "Of course, but what is it for? I didn't know you could use it in potion making."

Now it was Severus's turn to be dismissive. "You can't, the lotus seeds are reacting unusually with the hyacinth."

That certainly explained things rather well. "Do you feel like dessert?" Surely Severus wasn't immune to the smells of baking, not after they had been down in the cold for several hours. He had seen the man shiver more than once.

"You are being ridicules."

"We could eat in your room." That was playing dirty and Percy knew it, but if you were going to compete with potions a bit of ruthlessness was required. When Severus started to summon a few bottles Percy nearly danced for joy. Deep down Severus wanted a break as well. Probably.

Frosted Mulberry

Percy pressed his hand against the window and watched his breath fog up the glass. A sudden storm had hit last night covering the remote area in a thick blanket of snow. A fireplace warmed the room and Percy was surrounded by comfortable quilts and pillows. Percy still shivered when a pair of muscular arms wrapped around him.

"It looks nice out."

For a few moments it seemed as though Percy wouldn't reply until he murmured, "Perfect for going outside." He sounded slightly hopeful as he pressed another hand against the window sill, "It is the weekend after all."

The voice behind him sighed, "I'm sorry Percy, I have to leave."

"I would still be on the grounds Marcus; I doubt anyone from the Ministry is going to pop up for a surprise visit." That was a bit of a lie, people had come by to see if things at Flint Manor were fitting in with the Ministry's new deatheater philosophy. But Percy was more than willing to risk his life if it got him out of the house and away from any reminders of Flint.

Speaking of Flint, instead of moving away he had pressed himself closer to Percy. "I wouldn't be able to reapply the warming charms."

"Then I'll go inside. Or I don't know wear a sweater." Normally Percy would have let it drop by now but it had been over a week since he stepped outside. In the beginning when Percy was brought here Marcus had been…well, kind certainly wasn't the word. But definitely more understanding and willing to go along with Percy's attempts at acting as if he had any sort of control over his life. It was nice, almost like back at Hogwarts when they were dating. Just without the yelling and jealousy.

Now Percy had an idea as to why that was. Trapped here all alone except for Marcus or the occasional Ministry official there was no one to fear. Especially Oliver, someone had made sure of that.

Percy was abruptly pulled from his musings by lips against the back of his neck, "Fine then I don't like your attitude."

"Well that certainly doesn't detour your more amorous advances." The moment Percy finished speaking he realized it would be in his best interest to keep any phrases beyond 'Yes Marcus' in check. Of course it was already too late to apologize as his face hit the floor.

Still trying to stop the blood rushing from his nose and feeling a cut from where he bit his lip Percy only heard Marcus stomping towards the door. "Should have just let Greyback have you. He's gotten awfully bored since he finished with Snape." The door slammed just as Percy looked up, the click of the lock nearly drowned out by the sound of Marcus kicking a house elf.

Pulling himself up Percy went back to stand in front of the window, the birds should be out by now.

Springtime Bloom

It was truly a beautiful spring. Flowers were everywhere as the sun was out and shining perfectly, people just seemed happier. So of course Percy was stuck in his office with a cold. He couldn't even stay at home to be miserable. No, the Danish ambassador just had to decide that this would be the perfect week to discuss rogue deatheaters that had escaped outside of England. The Ministry certainly couldn't ignore it; with the fuss Stryker was making it would only be a matter of time before the rest of Wizarding Europe was knocking at their door.

Leaning heavily against his desk Percy dug through the mass of paperwork. He needed another assistant desperately, a competent one this time. He heard the door open but didn't bother to look up until a voice spoke, "My, you certainly look miserable."

Percy felt a bit conflicted, on one hand this was his boss, on the other he was sleeping with him. Was there any sort of protocol for this type of situation? He'd have to ask the secretary in the department of magical transportation. Then again maybe not, Percy had made sure to keep things as casual unplanned one night stands. Marriage was for after he retired and Percy planned to die working.

Inner conflict resolved Percy settled on a mild look of disdain as he looked up to see Kingsley dressed in full quidditch gear. "I'm not going along with any office trends you're trying to start." Dear Merlin was that his voice? Percy sounded like a dying gnome.

Kingsley seemed to find this hilarious, laughing as Percy returned to reading reports and trying to find the corresponding paperwork without coughing up a lung. Percy was fairly certain that at one point Kingsley stopped long enough to say something but even if his head didn't feel like a stuffed puffskein he would have ignored him.

He certainly wasn't happy and if Percy hadn't lived with the twins for sixteen years he would have jumped from his chair when Kingsley snuck up behind him and began massaging his shoulders. Stupid auror training, Kingsley was always trying to get a rise out of him with it. "Relax Percy, I'm not trying to kill you just do a bit of kneading."

"This is unprofessional." Fine, that was half hearted at best but Percy could help but relax a little bit. "You should be working, not playing quidditch." This is why he always had so much to do, people ignoring important conflicts in need of resolving.

"I know, I know. But The Prophet goes nuts for this sort of thing." With a casualness Percy knew to be well practiced Kingsley's hands began to travel lower. "I might even manage to steal the cover of Witch Weekly from Harry."

Suddenly suspicious (he could thank living with Oliver for that) Percy asked, "What about Stryker?" There went the cheerful springtime mood. Tensing up Percy pulled away to face Kingsley, "You already fixed this didn't you? Hours ago, maybe even yesterday." Dying gnome or not the frustration in Percy's voice was obvious. It wasn't that he had come in on his day off, it was that he had arrived early.

At least Kingsley looked apologetic. "I came up as soon as I heard you were in." Before Percy could ask why he didn't just tell him Kingsley offered a reason, "You're always less angry when you're relaxed."

"Oh! Such as when I didn't have to waste nearly an entire day on useless paperwork?" At least Percy could still speak with plenty of sarcasm. Too bad Kingsley seemed immune to it.

"Or when a charming man completely at your mercy offers to take you to dinner." Kingsley was too charismatic for his own good. Reluctantly Percy found himself agreeing even though he was still annoyed and the almost completely unable to breathe.

Standing up to fetch his cloak Percy had one last comment. "Can't you just tell me when you meddle in my department ahead of time?"

"It would be easier if we lived together."

"Don't push it."

Fuchsia Kiss

Just to confirm this nightmare Percy looked around one more time. The Burrow's closet was still as tiny as ever but in the spirit of Saint Valentine's Day sparkles along with red and pink hearts covered the walls. Instead of cloaks streamers with cheesy poetry hung from the hooks. The lone light bulb had been charmed to cast everything in alternating shades of pink, white and red. Oh, and he was chest-to-chest, nose-to-nose with Remus Lupin.

Awkward could barely even begin to describe it. Moving his head slightly so they weren't so close to…contact, Percy asked, "Could you try the door? I can't quite reach it." Not without some very personal contact.

A little painful shuffling and Percy could hear the doorknob jiggling. Before too long there was a loud banging against the door from the other side. "Oy! Keep it down ya lovebirds!" Once Percy escaped this closet he was going to hunt down each one his siblings and strangle them. Then he would be free to find a country far, far away and became a hermit.

Trying to ignore some of the twin's more lewd suggestions Percy spoke up, "I'm sorry Mr. Lupin. They're bound to get bored soon enough." He was actually glad for the lighting that hid the bright shade of red he was turning.

Remus half shrugged before realizing there simply wasn't enough room. "Don't be, Sirius probably put them up to it. And please, call me Remus."

Confused Percy asked, "Aren't you and Sirius…?"

"Lovers?" Remus laughed, "No, that's just what everyone guesses, Sirius is very fond of female companionship."

"Oh." Well now Percy felt like even more of an awkward idiot, especially as he couldn't help but notice Remus didn't mention sharing Sirius's preferences. Maybe Tonks could save him; she was supposed to show up at some point.

Another round of banging on the door, "Come on now Remy, everyone deserves some love!" Was the entire world intent on crushing his dreams?

The answer was an astounding yes when a few excruciatingly slow minutes later Ginny came by yelling more or less the same thing at Percy in-between fits of giggles. Remus's breath was hot against his neck as he spoke, "You didn't happen to reveal any feelings for Valentine's Day in the last week or so did you?"

Percy sincerely wished he had a wall he could easily bang his head against. "Over tea a few days ago I told Ginny I really don't see myself as loveable."

Surprised Remus brought a hand to Percy's shoulder, "Why not? You're young, very smart, hold a good, steady job. Not to mention quite attractive."

Letting his cynicism get the best of him Percy spoke freely, "What does that have to do with anything? Being smart, if anything makes me pickier. I spend more time at work then any sane person could put up with. And I know what I look like, gangly, freckles and my head looks like its on fire."

"Those aren't very good reasons Percy," Remus said quietly.

"You must have told Tonks or Sirius something similar to land yourself in here." At Percy's words Remus went from relaxed to as stiff as a dried salamander.

"It wouldn't exactly be responsible of me to pursue a romantic relationship Percy. My affliction doesn't make it possible to keep any sort of job. I can't purchase a house either, or even stay in one area for too long."

Percy was hardly impressed, "That was before Kingsley became Minister, and with Hermione working with him werewolf discrimination is going down the drain. Even if worse does come to worse you can be a househusband and anyone bothered by it can move."

Remus smiled and Percy couldn't help but feel a bit better. "You're forgetting about finding someone willing to date someone lunar-challenged."

Out of habit Percy tried to move his hands in a dismissive gesture only to hit one of the hearts and scatter glitter everywhere. "I wasn't even going to dignify that with any sort of response. People date traveling salesmen and loons that like to wake up at four AM for a run. Or jerks, people marry jerks. Then there's people that like to lock themselves in their basements for a hobby-"

"Or in live in their office," Remus cut in.

Percy agreed with a nod that left them back to being nose-to-nose. "Age is another one, Moody is more than old enough to be Tonks's father and no one is complaining. Not to mention he's also her superior and mentor. If people can put up with all that and even bring children into it then you should hardly be giving up."

"What about picky workaholics with freckles and red hair?" Remus asked without a trace of seriousness.

"Maybe we aren't entirely unlovable." Percy suggested while trying not to laugh as one of the streamers started to tie itself into a bow.

"Perhaps over coffee?" Remus offered as more streamers joined in.

Now the sparkly hearts were starting to flutter along the walls, "Only if it's far away from here and in a wide open space."

It wasn't until nearly an hour later that Molly came home and forced Bill to unlock the door to find the two entirely happy with being locked in a closet together. At least until Lee Jordan told the twins about the muggle meaning of 'in the closet'.

Satisfaction

More than anything else on earth Percy wanted to disappear. Dying would solve a lot of his problems as well but the small vial he had been given was hidden in his dresser. Damn it he should have known better than to have shown up in this sleazy inn. The war was over, what sane Death Eater would be contacting Percy for one last visit?

No, Percy had to respond by slipping on an outfit modest by his usual standards and obscene everywhere else and not bother with a loose set of robes or a cloak to cover himself. He just couldn't listen to his intuition screaming at him to ditch the room key and run. Instead Percy had opened the door to find a very angry Fred and George standing in front of him.

Roughly pulling him inside and locking the door Percy was to nauseas to notice who spoke first. "Are you satisfied Percy? Rookwood came by the burrow looking for you, gave us all the details."

"Merlin" Percy gasped. This couldn't be happening, it just couldn't. Feeling his legs give out Percy barely made it to the bed before collapsing. "Is everyone alright?"

Now he was fairly sure it was George speaking as he stared at the carpet and tried not to vomit. "Everyone's fine, we took him out, and called the aurors. The rest of the family was having dinner with the Lovegoods. But why Percy? What in Gryffindor's name possessed you to do something so-so-"

"Dirty?" Percy supplied. "Or disgusting." It felt like his stomach was being pumped full of lead. "Carrow had a thing for red hair, I found out when he visited the Ministry. He was chatty afterwards and let it slip that they had found someone's safe-house. I tracked down Kingsley and told him. That's all I wanted to do I promise." Liar, Percy had wanted to curl up in his bathtub and drown. He still felt the urge to, not so deep down inside. "However a friend of Carrow's found me at my flat the next day; he didn't connect Carrow's visit with the safe-house but he did offer me some galleons. Things went forward from there I suppose. I even became fairly popular, Lucius Malfoy hired me a few times, and he liked to bring up Arthur. He had a habit of leaving letters around though, that's how we found Nott."

By the end of his undignified rant Fred and George were both standing in front of him with identical looks of shock. "Percy…we didn't know. Are you- are you alright?"

"No, I'm not alright. But I will be when I get home." Pulling himself from his brother's grip Percy started for the door, the twins had never locked a door he couldn't charm open.

Before he could get three paces away two hands reached out for him. "You have to talk to someone Percy. Get help at Saint Mungo's." Since when had Fred been so responsible?

"I signed an agreement with Kingsley and that's how I want it." It was true, Percy would much rather be the traitor with a last minute redemption then the former prostitute. "Besides I'm talking to you and it's hardly helping."

Ignoring the last part of what Percy had said George spoke up, "Fine, you're talking to us, will you keep doing it?"

"Regular like, so we can say something to Mum so she won't worry" Fred continued. "Percy you have to let us help you. We were wrong, jerks to."

Percy relaxed slightly as he thought about it. "You won't tell anyone?"

"No one" Fred agreed.

"And we don't talk about nothing you don't want to." George finished. "Just try for us."

"Not that we want you to be perfect or anything."

"Or think you're a pinhead."

"Alright, alright," Held up his hands in defeat "I'll talk, occasionally. However you have to give me some warning and let me dress in something more appropriate." Percy wouldn't lie to himself he still felt anxious and more ashamed then he could understand. But for the first time since the Ministry was taken over Percy felt just a little optimism that things would get better.

Band of Gold

Waking up in Malfoy Manor completely nude was nothing new for Percy. Finding a gold band around his ankle with a chain connecting to the foot of the bed was. Giving the chain a good pull Percy guessed it must have a few fortifying charms on it. Turning to the open bathroom door Percy called out, "Draco? Did you do this?"

The water turned off before moments before Draco walked in the doorway in only a towel. "Yes."

"And?" Percy led.

"What?" Shedding his towel Draco joined Percy on the bed. It certainly was tempting to let Draco curl up against him. Percy even gave in for a few minutes before pulling away just enough to look Draco in the eyes.

"I'm already late for work and I'm having lunch with Father today." If Percy expected Draco to care he was quite disappointed. Ignoring the fact that Percy said anything Draco rolled on top of him and sat up.

Absentmindedly he began tracing a pattern along Percy's stomach. "I was thinking fruit for breakfast." With a sigh and just as Percy was relaxing Draco shuffled over to lie on his stomach and still half on top of his lover. "Or maybe just chocolate. Do you still want your coffee Dear?"

"I need to get to work Draco" Percy pleaded. Before he could become too distracted he grabbed Draco's wandering hands in his own. "Come on Love, you promised me one day to wrap everything up before we go on holiday."

Taking advantage of his position and Percy's occupied hands Draco not so gently bit his neck, choosing a place high above any collars. "I lied. It happens. Very often I'm told."

Percy gave in and let go so Draco could continue groping him while he checked for blood. There wasn't any but Draco didn't have to look so smug when they both knew it would leave a huge mark. He could already imagine the clueless concern and snickering. "Sadist," Percy murmured. Anyone else and Percy would have asked how they would like it if someone bit them but he already knew he would only get a cheeky 'yes please' and it was too early in the morning for that.

"I do like tying you up a bit much don't I?" Draco asked. Pretending to think for a moment Draco presented his conclusion. "I really don't mind."

Giving one last glance at the clock Percy gave up. Yes work was very enjoyable for him but he knew to appreciate being trapped in bed with a crazy blond every once in a while.

Ladybug

Poor crazy Oliver, the heat had obviously driven him insane as he wandered the hills in search of bugs. Percy was smart; in order to conserve energy he was resting in the shade of a large, grassy hill and trying to see if there were any trees nearby. Of course there wasn't, they had finally made it to Oliver's uncle's house and there was a heat wave.

Normally this wouldn't bother Percy at all because this was precisely the reason why cooling charms where invented. But no, Oliver just had to go outside to explore while they were under aged and Mr. Wood was busy in town meaning once the charms wore off they were left to suffer. Unless of course they could manage to find their way back to the house without getting lost.

They couldn't, once again the teens were hopelessly lost. Not that you could tell by looking at Oliver he still had enough energy to be climbing around and digging in the dirt. Speaking of which where was Oliver?

"Oliver! Could you at least stay nearby?" Percy yelled. This was much too similar to babysitting Ron and Ginny for his liking.

"Argh. No need to yell Percy I'm right over here." Turning around Percy found Oliver standing only a couple yards away with his hands cupped in front of him. "Look what I found."

"I'm not looking at any more worms Oliver." Was it said that he even had to tell his boyfriend that? Yes, it definitely was but Percy let Oliver take a few eager steps forward and lean down to show off what he had found

"They're ladybugs." At least five or six of them content to crawl along Oliver's fingers. "Do you want to hold them?"

"I'm fine Oliver but they're very nice. I didn't know they lived around here though, where did you find them?" Now could he convince Oliver to put them back? Most likely no, their dorm was already covered with various leaves, rocks, twigs and other things that had caught Oliver's interest. It was getting ridicules as they kept having to find new places to cram things and Percy had seen Oliver eyeing his pristine desk in a way he certainly didn't like.

"Can't remember." Sitting down Oliver shoved his hands right under Percy's nose. "But I've already named them, here's Milly, Carmen, Ragu, Lysander the Good, Ray, and the one with the busted leg if Fuzz."

They have names. Joy. Now Percy would have to learn what they eat and track down some sort of container. Those bugs had better live longer than a lion turtle as well because that was one thing Percy wasn't going to deal with. With a sigh Percy stood up and grabbed the glass jar they had used to contain water. "Here, we can put them in this until we find our way back."

Oliver stood up reluctantly and held the bugs against his chest. "I'd rather hold them, they're delicate ya know? `Specially Fuzz, I worry about Fuzz."

"Just help me find our way back to your uncle's. I think it was this direction." Not bothering to wait for Oliver Percy started walking in a random direction. If worst came to worst they could wander into a village and look like a couple of loons.

"Wait! I can't find Carmen! Oh wait, there he is." This was going to be a long walk.

Dusk

Percy stood in sat in the kitchen resisting the urge to run to the front door and fling it open. Marcus would be home when it was safe for him to be and not a moment sooner. 'Safe' was becoming a very different and rare thing lately though and Percy was terrified. Marcus was doing fine of course. Part of being a predator for so many years Percy guessed, even if his husband was competing with the undead now.

Nuclear fallout and roaming dead aside they were actually living quite comfortably. Plenty of clean water, a garden and only the occasional roaming band of looters easily taken care of. Why was Percy even worrying? Marcus was the one with the shotgun. That's right; everything would be perfectly fine it was only dusk after all.

Still Percy couldn't help it, the moment he heard a familiar pounding against the deadbolt he was flinging the door open and clinging to Marcus for dear life. "It's dusk where have you been? Its nearly dark out, you know they can see in the dark perfectly fine while you're trying not to trip over a mutated scorpion."

"You're the one that wanted to move to the middle of the damn desert. Now get inside ya didn't even check to make sure I wasn't some murderin scavenger." Picking Percy up and moving him aside Marcus unstrapped the shotgun from his back and set it by the door and sat on the couch. "Get me a beer would you?"

With a quick glance outside Percy shut the door and re-did all the locks before turning to Marcus who was lazily discarding his boots and jacket. "A beer? I was worried sick and that's all you have to say?"

"You knew I would be fine." Why did Marcus always have to be so right? Percy just wanted to worry in peace and have Marcus come home and comfort him.

"So? I couldn't be absolutely sure. Did you listen to the radio today? They're reporting radiation poisoning everywhere now. You didn't re-fill your canteen at the creek did you? A whole family was wiped out just a week ago and that's the reason why." Percy could have gone on for hours if Marcus didn't wave him off.

"Some of us were actually out getting chewed on by giant lizards today and could use some cool refreshment." Fine, Percy would be a good housewife but he was the one that fixed the stupid generator in the first place.

Muttering to himself Percy walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. One odd thing about a nuclear apocalypse, there's alcohol absolutely everywhere. Setting the can on the counter Percy was busy washing his hands when Marcus snuck up behind him. "You didn't actually think I was dead somewhere did ya?"

Percy didn't shrug off the arms wrapped around him but he didn't do much else. "Maybe, it is dusk. You were supposed to be back before it got dark."

"It's not dark at all you can still see the sun out." Right next to the moon of course but Percy wasn't going to point that out. Instead he shut off the faucet and handed Marcus his drink who promptly started walking back towards the living room before rethinking and sitting at the table while Percy started wiping down the counters. "Thanks for fixing the window boxes, makes the place homey."

Percy fixed them because there wasn't any space in the front yard and it was the only side of the house with direct sunlight for certain herbs. The flower seeds that had accidentally gotten mixed in were just a coincidence. Still, nice to know his work was noticed and appreciated by someone. Most of the people left in town were downright anti-social. Except for one man in particular but Percy was making sure not to mention him to Marcus. Without realizing it Percy had begun to look distinctly uncomfortable as he remembered catching the guy staring at him as he was pumping water out of the well that day. He hadn't said anything or heaven forbid approached the house but Percy hadn't left the house for the rest of the day.

"There was an accident today." Marcus muttered more to himself than Percy. "Some creep named Jackson accidentally got his leg shot up."

He shouldn't feel as flattered as he did. Marcus had gone off and shot someone for looking at him without even telling him anything ahead of time. On the other hand Percy hadn't been forthcoming with any information of his own meaning Marcus was observant and caring when it came to something besides slaying the undead.

Percy decided to finally call it a sweet act of kindness when he realized Marcus must have shown some restraint if he had only shot Jackson in the leg. Several times yes, but nowhere vital. "I found some canned peaches the other day. Do you want some?"

"Absolutely so long as they don't grow teeth and try to eat me." The end of the world with Marcus Flint, maybe it isn't so bad.

Russian Sage

It was gone. After weeks of competing and losing against a stupid plant for Severus's affection and the stupid weed was gone.

Oh it had seemed innocent enough, Severus's normal ingredient supplier excitedly fire calling before rushing over and before Percy knew it his lover was refusing to leave the basement. Apparently some sort of rare variation of Russian sage had been found that had uses beyond his miniscule understanding.

At first it hadn't been so bad, Percy used the time to get ahead an extra week on his paperwork and hire a new assistant. Then he had visited his parents and had dinner over at Bill's a few times, went shopping for a wedding gift for Ginny and Harry and tried to fake surprise when Hermione and Ron announced their own engagement.

So Percy was still occupied and had plenty to do but he couldn't help but feel a little lonely for Severus. Attempting to enter the lab several times Percy was practically hexed until he scurried out. Fine then, he was going to try ignoring Severus for a while. That was a miserable failure because Percy might as have been part of the wallpaper whenever Severus dashed upstairs long enough to eat and attend to any absolutely vital bodily functions. Showering apparently wasn't one of them but Percy suspected that was partially to keep him away.

Well no more, around three am that morning Severus had stumbled into their bedroom, glared at him briefly and then rolled into bed before falling asleep. Waking up to find Severus still there Percy could only assume that the evil plant was gone. Overjoyed he had practically skipped into the kitchen to make some coffee and start making breakfast.

Humming to himself Percy smiled when he heard Severus walk in and grab his mug. "Good morning Severus. I don't have work today."

Percy didn't have to look behind him to see the complete lack of surprise on Severus's face. "Really, on a Sunday? Amazing." With one last look of dismissal he moved to the sitting room where the paper should be waiting for him.

Ah, how he missed him.

Marmalade Glaze

Percy had slept well and woken up feeling prepared for whatever emergency that might arise at work that day. Realizing he had slept in Percy skipped his usual morning shower and headed for the kitchen to grab something to eat. Walking through the living room Percy entered the kitchen to find Oliver crouching down so he was eye level with the counter staring at a jar of orange marmalade.

Maybe Percy wasn't prepared for everything. Percy made an effort to keep his voice light as he stepped towards the fridge. "Is everything alright Oliver?"

Oliver didn't look away from the jar at all, if anything his look of concentration intensified. "There's something unnatural about this stuff."

"Marmalade?" Percy asked as he poured himself some orange juice. Rethinking the bread he had put in the oven for toast Percy walked over to stand behind Oliver. "It looks fine to me." As it should, Percy had just bought it yesterday afternoon.

"No there's something wrong about it." Hesitantly Oliver reached out to touch the marmalade before pulling his hand back at the last second. "It's…menacing."

Perfect, Percy was running late and now his husband was in the middle of some sort of condiment phobia. Definitely time for drastic measures. "Don't you have practice today Oliver? And something about drinks with the team?" Normally Oliver would have been out the door over an hour ago especially if Percy was allowing him to stay out all night with his friends.

"Canceled, no one wanted to practice in a doxy infested field." Slowly Oliver reached over to turn the jar of marmalade slightly to the left. "It's inedible," he declared.

"It's fine Oliver. Have you really never encountered marmalade?" Striding over to turn off the oven Percy grabbed a well toasted piece of bread and set it on the counter.

Oliver actually stood up to stare at him in horror when Percy grabbed a butter knife from the drawer. "Of course not, my mother actually loves me and would never bring that anywhere near her beloved child."

Percy looked at him in disbelief. "That is insane Oliver. We were at your parent's house last week and there was marmalade right in the pantry. Your mother told me she loved to make it herself. Now hand me the jar."

"You're going to eat it?" Percy might as well have been holding a jar of pixie guts the way Oliver was reacting.

"Yes and I'm going to be perfectly fine." Shoving past Oliver and ignoring his protests Percy opened the jar and stuck the knife in. Glancing up at Oliver he rolled his eyes at the terrified expression he wore. "This is ridicules." Ignoring every part of his screaming sense of personal hygiene Percy made sure there was plenty of marmalade on the knife before pulling it out and licking it.

"You-you-you really ate it!" Throwing the knife in the sink Percy grabbed another one so he could spread some on his toast as Oliver made various gagging sounds and expressed his disbelief.

Things became to exasperating for Percy when his husband actually had to turn away as he slathered the toast with marmalade. After grabbing a spoon Percy put the lid back on the jar he placed it back in the fridge and walked towards Oliver. "It's gone now. Are you happy?"

"No-" Oliver would have said more except the moment he turned around Percy shoved the spoon full of marmalade in his mouth. Instinctively he swallowed and Percy withdrew the spoon. "That was pretty good. What was it?"

"Orange marmalade you idiot."

Bermudan Blue

He hated to admit it to himself but Percy made a near perfect spoiled housewife. Not that he would ever admit it to anyone out loud. When he had found out that Lucius had a mansion on a small island in Bermuda Percy had been more then eager to see it and now he had to call it one of his best ideas ever. The sun, water, even the trees seemed determined to make his stay there perfect.

Lounging on the beach under an umbrella Percy sipped at his drink and occasionally napped with the knowledge that he had absolutely nothing to do. It was very pleasant after being a slave to the idea of being Perfect Percy for as long as he could remember.

Looking out onto the water and contemplating a swim Percy looked up to see Lucius standing behind him dressed for a meeting of some sort. "Business?" It was a bit late in the afternoon but Percy wouldn't be surprised considering the hours he used to work.

"Unfortunately yes. It seems Severus was too harsh with a particularly dimwitted child and now I am obligated to testify at his hearing." Lucius spoke as though it was a huge burden to him but they both knew he would gladly stand up for his old friend. After Lucius left it would probably be best if Percy forced himself to head for the kitchen if dinner was going to be ready in time for a grouchy Severus to join them. Yes, that was exactly what Percy needed, horror stories of spoiled children and the knowledge that dealing with the grown up versions was long behind him.

Busy planning a menu Percy almost forgot that Lucius was still there until he was being pulled up and held against the older man. With a smile Percy returned the embrace before speaking up, "I'm covered in sand you know."

Instead of pulling away Lucius held on tighter. "Yes and not much else I've noticed." They were on a private island getaway with perfect weather and Percy had never swum nude before. The fact that he was even wearing a towel was amazing. "I'll make sure I'm dressed when Severus arrives."

With a practiced ease Lucius stepped back from Percy but kept a grip on his upper arms before replying, "Don't bother; I am sure we will both be in need of some entertainment after a day at the Ministry."

Percy was aware that Lucius was watching his shocked expression closely as he realized just what the older man had said. "Are you implying..?"

"I never imply Dear." Judging by the smirk Lucius was having a great deal of fun with a befuddled Percy. Kissing Percy on the cheek Lucius reached for his wand to apparate, "Everything is up to you of course, we will be home shortly."

As the confusion cleared and Percy began walking towards the mansion he re-thought the benefits of being a housewife. Obviously he was far from discovering them all if his husband was telling the truth, something he definitely planned to investigate later tonight…

Lavender Bounty

It was warm in Severus's personal rooms, perfectly cozy for a winter in the dungeons. There also wasn't an ounce of clutter in sight as every spare potions ingredient and crumbling book was safely put away or hidden from appraising eyes. Looking in from the doorway to where Severus laid alone on the bed the man looked peaceful and completely content with the world.

Draco could only conclude that something was horribly wrong. Ever since his first year the blond had often visited his godfather and found things to be the exact opposite. Cold, dreary, and messier then Hagrid's hut Draco normally walked in to see a grouchy Severus glaring at him over a cold cup of tea while crouched over some dusty tome no matter how early the hour.

To suspicious to walk inside Draco continued to look around, noticing that there was a crackling fire in the once filthy fireplace. A rug that was normally rolled up in a corner had been spread out underneath a table and comfortable looking armchairs that simply had to be new.

Resisting the urge to check for hexes or other traps Draco stepped into the middle of the room and noticed something else. Lavender, the smell was barely noticeable but still there. Yes, Draco was used to the rooms smelling like something with the constantly rotating potions and ingredients but normally it was more of a musky foul smell that left the blond gagging.

With a quick glance Draco confirmed that Severus was still sleeping with an actual smile on his face. Eager to look away from the bizarre sight he almost missed the sound of the door opening. Using the natural Malfoy poise Draco turned to the entrance only to find it still shut.

"Over here Malfoy." Startled Draco jumped before he could stop himself. Almost spinning he turned to the opposite door that led to the bathroom to see Percy Weasley clad only in some old robe casually polishing his glasses. "He's still asleep but I can tell him you came by," the redhead whispered while pointing to Severus. Now Draco noticed that along with the look of contentment he was also reaching towards the other side of the bed that had obviously been slept in. Merlin he felt like an idiot.

More than that however Draco felt a sense of outrage. How dare some blood traitor seduce his godfather? Making sure to stay quiet he strode towards the little tart. Taking advantage when a surprised Percy took a few steps back Draco joined him in the bathroom and shut the door. Of course this room was also completely re-done for the better. As Draco closed the space between them he realized that the lavender smell must be part of whatever soap Percy used. Or perhaps his shampoo? Obviously he wasn't using whatever cheap goo that Draco would normally expect someone with no class to use.

"Get out of here now! How dare you- you filthy traitorous-" Draco continued along the same vein for a few minutes especially as Percy made no room to interrupt him, only flinching a few times when Draco forgot to keep his voice lowered. Finally the younger boy was finished sneering as he expected Percy to crumble "Well?"

Far from an emotional wreck Percy only moved to tighten his robe around his waist as Draco noticed how short it was on him. Blushing slightly when he caught Draco staring Percy quickly composed himself and tried to pull the robe down only to have it fall over one of his shoulders.

Ignoring it Percy finally got around to addressing Draco, "It's good of you to tell me how you feel now Draco. Mother and Ginny talked about my sister-in-law behind her back for over a year." When he actually smiled with perfectly white teeth Draco had to resist the urge to strangle Percy, "You have nothing to worry about Draco. I don't plan on taking your place at all and understand if you want to spend time with Severus. I was actually just about to get dressed and go fetch us some breakfast if you would like to speak with him alone. Would you care for anything?" Draco could tell by the sugary sweet tone that Percy obviously didn't consider him any sort of threat. That would have to be remedied, soon.

"Not a word Draco." Catching them both by surprise the students found Severus by the doorway, dressed thank Merlin and looking none too pleased. "And stop eyeing him as if he is one of your parent's conquests." Cutting of any protests Severus turned around and headed for one of the armchairs, "If the two of you are finished waking me the house elves delivered breakfast already. Draco there's earl gray for you and coffee for Percy."

Summoned and dismissed in only a way Severus could do Draco leveled one more glare at Percy before rushing ahead to grab the chair closest to Severus while Percy stayed in the bathroom to get properly dressed.

Settling down in his favorite chair Severus silenced his godson with a look of exasperation. Imagine when he would have to explain the wedding.

Lynne's Acres

Barely missing the neighbor above them dumping her garbage from her window Percy stepped off of the freezing streets and into their modest home to find Oliver already waiting for him. That certainly couldn't be good, a new order for furniture had arrived just last week and his husband should be much too busy to be home in the middle of the day.

Seeing Percy Oliver stopped his pacing to run up and nearly tackle him in a hug. "I got fired!"

"What?" Oh please no, they were already just barely supporting themselves and if they only had Percy's job as a clerk to rely on they'll be out on the street soon. With a shove to pry Oliver off of him Percy looked at his husband closely. "You must be lying to me Oliver. Stop laughing like a loon and tell me you are."

"Nope!"Obviously the pressure had gotten to him because Oliver seemed to be overjoyed by their imminent starvation. "Told the boss where to shove his table leg and walked out." Oliver actually had to catch Percy as his legs went out. Panicking slightly he continued, "But look! Look at the flier and the papers I got."

"Papers?" Debt collectors already? Percy still felt woozy as he looked over the papers Oliver had been holding.

GO WEST AND SEEK YOUR FORTUNE!

BE THE FIRST TO SETTLE NEW LANDS!

OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL!

FAMILIES RECEIVE HUNDREDS OF ACRES!

On and on the headlines went, each seemingly more unrealistic then the last. "Oliver, we can't just leave for some empty promises."

"Why not? I hate my job, you hate your job. It's like magic! There's a wagon train leaving in a week, plenty of time to sell the stuff we can't bring." Anyone would have easily been carried away by Oliver's enthusiasm. Except for Percy of course, he had the cynicism to repel rainbows dancing in a field of four leaf clovers.

"Oliver I want you to listen to me. Are you listening to me?" Percy made absolutely sure that his husband's attention was on him. "I want you to tell me something. Do you know how much it costs to make it west? The danger, Oliver people die walking thousands of miles to something that might not even be all that great. What are you going to do once we get there? And where specifically are we going?"

Catching the serious tone of Percy's voice Oliver did look serious for all of three seconds before naturally perking up. "The Oregon territories of course. I'm gonna be a farmer. Come on Percy, please? I don't want to stay in a crowded city barely making it when we could be out adventuring."

Adventuring. That's how Oliver saw up to a six month journey where they could be robbed, maimed and/or killed before reaching what might as well be somewhere in the stars. Obviously he hadn't married for common sense. But Percy did think about it long and hard for the next few days as Oliver jumped around not so secretly selling various things around the house.

Finally the day before the wagon trail was supposed to leave Percy confronted Oliver in their tiny kitchen. "You're going to spend every moment of spare time learning something about farming. I grew up on a farm so yes; I know what I'm doing so you're going to listen to me. Actually, you're always going to listen to me for the rest of your life regarding everything you ever vaguely consider thinking about occasionally. I don't want to end up in a worse situation then we already are in. I don't want to end up turning back halfway there and I certainly don't want to get killed so I expect you to dive in front of any rattlesnakes. Do you understand?"

Before Percy could launch into the warnings for what would happen if Oliver in any way failed he was being tackled against the doorway. "You are amazing. Let's go!"

Well, at least that would be some comfort if Percy ended up accidentally eating hemlock.

Luscious Berry

It was a quiet day at Malfoy Manor; particularly in the gardens where Percy and Lucius were enjoying a brief lunch before they resumed planning for Draco to visit with news of Severus and his latest experiment.

Suddenly as Percy was pouring himself another cup of tea the air grew cold. The atmosphere of the lovely summer day merged into something menacing. Panicked Percy looked up to see if Lucius noticed it to only to see that Lucius had a look of great exasperation. "Lucius? Do you know what's-"

Percy couldn't finish asking as everything was drowned out by a large explosion of glitter and pink smoke right in front of them. "Remain quiet and try to ignore it," Lucius ordered.

He desperately wanted to ask what it was but Lucius only shushed him. Percy's question was answered soon enough anyways when the smoke cleared to reveal a…girl?

To be perfectly honest Percy wasn't entirely sure. It appeared to have a somewhat humanoid shape except for the pencil thin waist and chest area that would put most quaffles to shame which made the head simply look unusually sized. The hair, there was definitely something off with the hair as well. Was it actually sparkling? It also couldn't seem to stay one color for more than five seconds either.

Obviously it wasn't a witch based on its clothes. Percy honestly didn't want to think about the thing's wardrobe beyond 'goffic pole dancing eyesore'.

Perhaps it was an animagus under a particularly nasty curse?

Percy didn't get the chance to ask because the…whatever seemed to recover from its dramatic entrance and immediately launch into a speech. "MY LUV LUSCIOUS I AM YUR LONG LOST LUVER JEZABEL-KRZTAL-SUNKNEE-STARLIET! WE MET IN SCHOOL AND I LUVED U LONG TIME BUT U FORGOTED ME CUZ MY FATHER LERD VIOLAMURT DIDN'T LIK U SO HE MADE ME IMURTAL SO WE CULDNT BE 2GETHER 4EVA BUT NAW WE CAN CUZ I AM ACTUALLY PRINZES MOOHARP-LUVYNESS-SERENA-MOON AND THE GRUNGARS ARENT MY REEL PARANTS MY EYES ARE FILED WITH LUV AND SORROW FER U LUSCIOUS CANT U SEEEE?

Oh Percy could see something alright. Something terrifying. Percy tried to move slowly so he didn't startle it. Hopefully Lucius would survive and Percy could make it to a house elf so he could alert Saint Mungo's.

This proved to be a big mistake as the thing's eyes (cycling between various unnatural colors as well) narrowed in on him. Percy braced himself as the screeching resumed. "OH NOES IT IZ PECRY WEZALY! HE RAPPED ME IN HUGWARTS WHEN I WUZ A TEAHCER TREEING TO PROTK HARY FRUM LARD VODDLEMART HE IZ EVIL AND WURKIN WITH THE DETHETZERS1111"

What? It certainly took Percy a while to figure out what it was trying to say but once he somewhat understood he was far from happy. It took all his effort not to run away as Percy turned to confront it and Lucius looked on in amusement. "You are insane. In less than two minutes you have claimed you are the daughter of Voldemort, the Grangers and some sort of bizarre royalty. You supposedly have eight different names and went to Hogwarts with someone named 'Luscious' yet you barely look like you're thirteen. You never taught at Hogwarts at all as well and to be perfectly honest you look like a freak."

Tears(?) welled in the things eyes as Percy continued to point out its contradictions until it finally yelled out. "U IS JUZT A HATR AND JELLAZ THAT U CANT DOES BUTTER! AND IM ACTUALLY PRINCESS SERENTITY RAWANA GORDRC SLITHER THE FERRY-ELF-UNICARN AIR TO ALL THE HUWARTZ FONDERS AND WAZ GOING TO KEEP IT A MR.E BUT U RUINAD IT CUZ UR MEAT11!1"

Percy merely glared at it now, perfectly aware that the thing is harmless. "I assure you, whatever you are that I am absolutely human and in opposition to whatever you're supposed to be." Preparing for another round of insane troll logic Percy was pleasantly surprised when Lucius intervened with a stupefy.

A house elf was soon summoned with the directions to 'dump it with the rest'. At ease and poised as always Lucius calmly resumed eating as Percy still stood flabbergasted. When Percy didn't immediately recover Lucius finally offered an explanation. "Some of the writers are less skilled than others."

"Oh." Well that was certainly an explanation. Trying to ignore the feeling of being unsafe Percy joined Lucius once again.

Fortress Brown

Despite the tower being windowless and far removed from most of the fortress Percy could still tell something was happening. The last few days as well, the servants had been more subdued then usual and Percy hadn't seen either of his parents.

By now Percy had been alone for several hours, quite distressing since he hadn't eaten since last night. With some difficulty Percy managed to leave his chair to feed the small fire he had been able to start. It was the middle of winter and this tower was far from well maintained as Percy desperately hoped someone would arrive before he was forced to start taking apart furniture.

At seven months pregnant Percy highly doubted he could pry the chairs apart. Perhaps lifting the dresser drawers wouldn't be to challenging?

Before Percy could continue Percy trying to distract himself from his aching back he heard several shouts coming from outside his door. Soon the noise evolved into the clash of swords meeting as Percy took this as a hint to move to the farthest corner from the entrance.

Weary but still willing to hold out that he wasn't about to be murdered Percy kept a close eye on the door as things quieted down except for the heavy wooden bar keeping the door sealed from the outside being pushed aside. Soon Lord Draco Malfoy stood in the entry way with a please smirk. That was until he got a good look at where Percy had been staying for the last two months.

"They placed you here?" The disdain was obvious in his voice as Draco glided over to meet an overjoyed Percy.

"I am carrying the bastard child of my family's most hated enemy." Ah yes, that letter to his family after he had 'mysteriously' disappeared had been quite awkward.

Still, Percy hadn't expected to be kidnapped! Perhaps his parents had been justified in their initial fears but after explaining dozens of times that although reckless, unexpected and unusual their relationship was consensual. Percy wanted to leave. Not be lied to about his personal safety and used against Draco.

With a last glance at his prison Percy was relieved to find everyone still breathing as he followed Lucius down the stairs and towards one of the Malfoy Estates. He had a wedding to plan for and very little time.

Warm Gold

It was a reminder and Percy hated it. The thick band of gold circling his wrist was different then a wedding ring simply meant to say he was married. Oh no, this thing was a very clear STAY AWAY to everyone that might even come near Percy.

At first Percy hadn't worn it that often; gold doesn't go with everything after all. Quickly he had realized that this put Marcus in a mood he didn't want to deal with.

Stupid thing was impossible to ignore. Percy could remember quite clearly wearing a long sleeved robe as he went shopping. The shopkeeper, nice but more than a bit nosey, had seen the glimmer as he was reaching over to pay. Grabbing Percy's sleeve she had pulled it back before quickly blushing when she saw the engraving, FLINT. Marcus and Percy's names are engraved on the other side in a slightly smaller font. Overall very noticeable for a Ministry Official to be wearing.

Sitting alone with his lunch Percy found himself looking at his wrist instead of finishing paperwork. Fine, he would fire call Marcus right now to let him buy a damn ring.

Restless Sea

This was more than insane; this was ruining Percy's life. Giving up a generous commission, his friends and quite possible his family all over again. It didn't matter to Percy in the least; he knew the consequences the moment he stepped on the questionable ship.

The Light Earth was going where needed to be and the crew didn't ask questions. Even in this increasingly restless weather the captain pushed on away from Europe.

Standing alone on the far side of the deck Percy watched the ocean with increasing anxiety. Severus, he reminded himself, this was all going to be worth getting the man back safe and sound.

Percy had noticed it after the Great War. He knew Severus had worked for various organizations and even across several borders on differing sides and not much else. Percy could still see the differences from after the war, the restlessness and vigilance. Insomnia and irritability wasn't abnormal for the older man but not for not to this new extant. After several months of erratic behavior Percy had been eager to get help.

Then Severus had left. Not a word or letter, barely enough to fill a suitcase was missing to signal it had been a planned departure. For weeks Percy had been sick with worry, he still was. Finally his enquiries and prodding had paid off. This was the ship following the same route his lover had taken.

One of them at least, this was the third ship a Mr. Severus Snape had booked lodgings on and Percy could only pray he wouldn't find himself on another train station. If Percy had to even think about another long voyage by train he was going to rip his hair out.

He was getting closer though Percy could sense it. With no idea about what he was going to do it Percy's thoughts drifted away to a few weeks before Severus had fled.

Percy had woken up to an empty bed which told him once again that Severus had spent the entire night in his study. Not knowing what mood Severus would be in Percy had been cautious as he entered the kitchen to find Severus wasn't there with his usual morning drink. He wasn't anywhere in the house actually or any of the usual places Severus would rarely visit. Several hours later Severus had returned and Percy had set his worries aside. The walks continued, growing longer and more frequent while Percy stayed silent on the matter.

Until he was gone overnight. Confronting Severus had only led to an argument and Percy watched as he was left alone for longer and longer periods of time before Severus disappeared completely. Of course he had blamed himself for driving the love of his life away, agonized that Severus must be dead somewhere. One good slap from Ginny had put an end to that.

Now Percy was tracking him down. The sky was getting lighter as more men appeared on deck. Distantly he knew the shoreline should be within sight soon. Severus could be there; just a day's journey and Percy could see him again.

Desperately he hoped in that Severus would want him. If the older man didn't want anything to do with him Percy that left him with only one option.

Percy would have to repeat their courtship all over again. Complete with borderline stalking and bribery with musty old plants. Overall it was bothering Severus with his presence until he accepted it. Cruel but effective. Percy couldn't let the best part of his life go. Now he just had to convince Severus of the same thing.

Wine Tasting

Percy's first experience with alcohol was definitely ill-timed. He could hardly help it though; after Percy had realized exactly what Umbridge and most of the Ministry was up to he had fled. Arriving at the front door of Grimmauld with a slew of highly classified documents he had stolen from various offices and stayed there ever since.

Leaving of course wasn't an option now that it was fairly obvious who had leaked various secrets to the Order but that hardly prevented Percy from going more than slightly stir-crazy.

Late at night and sensing that he was alone in the house Percy had seen the wine bottle. Yes he knew it was reckless but that certainly didn't stop him for once. Pouring a glass Percy had even found that he quite enjoyed the taste.

Besides, Percy thought as he watched the bottle grow emptier, it wasn't really his fault at all. Sure the Order could congratulate him for risking his life to get them information. Did that mean they could trust him with anything to do besides watch his hair grow? Merlin no! He's the traitor, the bad son. The son that nearly killed himself to get perfect O.W.L.S and N.E.W.T.S The son that couldn't be happy for his friend when he thought Oliver might become Head Boy because he was too busy having a panic attack.

"The son who could never be the right perfect," Percy muttered to himself as he emptied his glass.

""The son who's going bonkers." Startled Percy actually fell out of his chair out of shock. Standing in the doorway stood Sirius Black trying not to laugh as Percy slowly righted himself against the spinning room. "You were talking for a while. Didn't know Crouch gave you the creeps."

Brilliant. Percy finally does something reckless and stupid and gets caught. At least it wasn't any of his siblings. Not that they wouldn't know soon if Mr. Black proved to be as chatty as always.

In an attempt to spare the remnants of his dignity Percy made his way to the doorway that Sirius was still blocking. "Please move," he mumbled.

"Let's chat, prisoner to prisoner." Before Percy could move out of the way Sirius had him by the shoulder to spin around and lead back to the table. Sirius actually laughed when Percy felt a bit woozy. "Shouldn't of gotten the good stuff out," he chided like an older sibling having caught their younger brother with a girl. Vaguely Percy wondered if that had ever happened with Regulas although he was far from inebriated enough ask.

Now that they were sitting close together Percy could smell something, whiskey? Whatever it was exactly Sirius just might have gone ahead and bathed in it the way it wafted off of him. Percy was far along enough to tell him this much to the older man's amusement.

Still laughing slightly Sirius grabbed the wine bottle and took a swig before offering it to Percy. Normally this would horrify him and every childhood memory of helping his mother clean and trying to prevent his infant siblings from sticking absolutely everything they could find in their mouths.

In that particular moment however Percy's obsessive sense of cleanliness just couldn't make its way to the front of his clouded mind. Instead he took the bottle and brought it to his lips as an amused Sirius watched. Somehow the alcohol seemed stronger without the glass. Magic at its finest perhaps?

Percy choked a bit as the wine was pulled away from him. "Save a bit would ya? Moony won't notice it's been watered down if we can keep the color mostly right." Wavering slightly Sirius stood up with the wine to go turn on the kitchen tap and stick the bottle under. When he was satisfied with the water level he grabbed the cork off of the counter and shoved it back in. With a wink at Percy Sirius stumbled over to the cabinet secreted away where certain someone's weren't supposed to find it. "Where'd the wine go?"

It took a moment for Percy to realize what Sirius was talking about before he replied, "Bottom one, third on the left."

"Brilliant." Percy couldn't see Sirius but he could hear several bottles clinking together. "Vodkas the best. Doesn't show the water and its kept up front."

Somehow Sirius made it back to the table with a large bottle of vodka and two shot glasses. Setting them down on the table was an easy task but somehow their chairs ended up shuffled together so Percy was almost on top of Sirius to avoid being jammed in a corner.

Percy carefully poured the drinks and followed as Sirius immediately gulped it down. If he wasn't already drunk Percy would have spit it back up. Instead his eyes watered and Percy let Sirius pour him another, taking small sips this time. In his opinion the wine was much better however the older man did have a point about an empty bottle being easy to hide.

It wasn't until their third (fourth?) glass that Percy said something, "You wo- won." Confused Percy tried to shake the feeling that he was talking with a potato in his mouth. "Aren't going to tell anyone?"

"Anyone what?" There was a slur when Sirius spoke but only barely.

"What I said earlier."

"Oh!" Sirius waved a hand, spilling vodka on both of them. "S`fine. I remember being young and under pressure."

"Yes," Percy nodded. He had overheard more than once conversation about Sirius and how he fit into the Black family. "Thank you."

"No problem. Let me pour you another." Back to silence they slowly made their way through another portion of the bottle before Sirius had Percy water it down and put it away.

Only half awake it seemed like a good idea for them to move to a couch in a room far from the eyes of Mrs. Black's portrait. Wait, never mind, it wasn't a couch but a very small bed shoved against the wall. It didn't matter much to either of them as they sat on the edge in a now comfortable silence.

Suddenly Percy found himself the first thing that came to mind. "Did this house always feel like this? Like its- its."

"Eating you?" Sirius offered grimly. "Always, used to sneak out to get away from it. Don't know why they won't move us somewhere else, I've told Moony enough, he should remember."

Percy couldn't see a solution but words of comfort did come to mind. "It must feel nice though, the Order being here and all fighting You-Know-Who."

Sirius laughed a little too loudly at that. "Nice enough. It's fun to picture them rolling in their graves sometimes." Quieting down slightly he leaned heavily against Percy who out of reflex brought a hand against his back to comfort him.

It was memories of helping Ginny that brought the urge to change the subject, "Do you know where they went?"

"No. They never tell me much. You?"

Percy shook his head, "They don't trust me."

"I'm too reckless `pparently." A hand crept up around Percy's waist as Sirius continued, "Moody? Fine, he wouldn't tell himself if he didn't half to. Moony and Dumbledore should though, I'm rotting in here. You too."

The words brought a chill down Percy's spine but he couldn't bring himself to disagree. Sure he loved awkwardly sitting down for tea with his mother most mornings as she eyed him wearily and watched her words. Eventually though Percy began to take the sudden hush whenever he entered a room a bit personally.

Wandering along the different rooms alone he could always feel the muggy feeling of being slowly strangulated until it became too much and he had to find a window charmed to stay shut but still offering a glance at the outside. Recalling various walks something dawned on Percy, "We don't run into each other very often."

"I avoid you." It was said very matter of fact and Percy couldn't help but feel hurt by it. They were hardly friends but they were at least in similar circumstances. Suddenly uncomfortable Percy moved closer to the headboard to wait out the fuzzy feeling in his limbs before he could leave.

Sirius picked up on Percy's sulking and quickly corrected himself. "I didn't want to do anything to get anyone mad at me."

Curious Percy let Sirius shuffle back over to lean heavily against him before asking. "For what?"

Less than a second later Percy had his reply when he was being kissed fast and hard as he found himself pressing against Sirius. He had experimented with a few boys and Penelope in school but this was entirely different as Sirius started to pry apart the buttons on both of their robes. Pulling away from the kiss their eyes met as they were both trying to catch their breath. "Help me out would you?"

That's all it took for Percy to practically tear off his clothes and insist that Sirius do the same. Naked Percy didn't have the usual amount of time to feel self conscious because Sirius had already pinned him down. Percy could still taste to much wine and vodka on himself and Sirius, he was about to lose his virginity to a near stranger almost old enough to be his father and all Percy wanted was for Sirius to keep trailing his hands downwards.

No, Percy thought as Sirius started to move frustratingly slow, actually stopping to trace along his hipbones, he wanted the other man to hurry up.

Thinking he could coax Sirius into action Percy tried moving his hips forward only to have the more experienced of the two hold him down with a laugh. "Patience."

It was half agony as Sirius kissed, licked, nibbled and refused to move where he was needed. Belatedly Percy realized he should be doing something, contributing to this somehow, although Sirius seemed content to let him grip the sheets harder as he tried to keep his pleading to a minimum.

Finally it seemed as if Sirius would take pity on him. Keeping a firm hold on Percy's waist he moved down until Percy forgot all efforts to be quiet as Sirius took the head of Percy's erection in his mouth.

Percy had never felt anything like this before and Sirius was all too happy to let him melt into a blithering mess. Moving back and forth on a whim he made up for his erratic behavior by reaching a hand to further distract Percy while the other moved behind him. They didn't have any lube on them but Sirius guessed that they would be fine as he slipped a finger in Percy.

It hurt slightly, especially when Sirius was quick to add another to stretch him further. The pain stayed on the edge of his mind until Sirius pulled away with a look that showed he enjoyed Percy's groan of frustration too much. Especially when a hand went from stroking his erection to tracing his inner thighs.

When Sirius began scissoring him with three fingers Percy gasped. Whatever Sirius had done he needed to do it again, many times. "More," he begged.

"More?" Sirius teased, pulling out completely. "You sure?"

"Yes!" It didn't take any more to motivate Sirius as he spit in his hand to lubricate himself before maneuvering Percy's legs over his shoulders. Two attempts later and Sirius was pushing into Percy and trying to remember he was dealing with a virgin to resist going too quickly.

That wasn't an issue for very long when Percy began to thrust against Sirius and urge him to go faster, especially as his toes curled and he felt a haze from his prostate being continuously hammered by their increased pace.

Considering their not completely sober state the two lasted quite a while before the tension in Percy gave out and he slumped over in exhaustion while ignoring the sticky mess around and inside of him from Sirius.

Percy was already asleep while Sirius pulled out and used an abandoned pillow to clean some of the mess before pulling the sheets over them. Even in his addled state he could guess of the reactions they could get in the morning. Not to mention the hangover.

WARNING: There is some VERY strong sexual content in this one of the nonconsensual variety, if that bothers you scroll down to the next drabble now which I promise is fluffy and sweet.

Amber Afternoon

After many weeks spent thinking over it Percy decided he was ok with being the mostly stay at home 'wife' in his relationship with Marcus. Percy was of course perfectly capable of using the handgun kept by the kitchen entryway but more than secure enough in his masculinity to stick with washing floors and doing the laundry. That left Marcus in charge of all zombie slaying

Unsurprisingly Marcus was quite popular in town for his ability to get just about any job done. Vigilante style justice in particular held a lot of appeal for him which explained his current whereabouts and Percy's worries.

Someone had been caught doing something. What exactly Percy didn't know for sure but he trusted Marcus when he told him not to ask. Before the criminal could be punished (most likely executed) he had fled and Marcus had been the first of many to volunteer to track him down.

Now Percy was left alone to fret. Clearing a larger spot for the garden had kept him occupied until late in the afternoon but now all Percy had to do was curl up on the couch and try to read. Since Marcus had been disowned they hadn't been able to afford a spacious house, instead the young couple had settled for a 'cozy' (smaller then a pincushion) ramshackle home away from the overpriced neighborhoods of the city.

It had its advantages, one of them being that it didn't matter how silently the front door opened because Percy could feel the rush of cold air flooding past him. Finally! If Marcus thought he was going to just walk off into their bedroom he had another thing coming.

"Marcus," Percy sighed in what he hoped was a properly martyred tone. "You could have been more honest when you told me how long you were supposed to be gone." Percy quickly stood up to put his book away before turning around to face his husband.

Who wasn't there. Damn it, this was not hide and go seek with Ginny. "Marcus!" Percy yelled as he stepped out onto the hallway and took a left towards their bedroom. "You can at least tell me if you were shot." That actually had happened once and Percy had to practically tie him to the bed in order to dress the wound. Well actually, he did end uptying Marcus down but now wasn't the time to be thinking about that…

Instead Percy opened the door to their bedroom just after it had been slammed shut and stepped inside. "Marcus?" Suddenly things didn't feel right. In fact they felt very, very wrong. "Are you in here?" Percy asked as he edged back towards the hallway. He was nearly there when someone tackled him from the left and slammed him into the wall.

Percy was too winded to see the fist rushing towards his face until it was too late. Later Percy would determine that his nose wasn't broken but in that moment as his mouth was flooded with his own blood he couldn't convince himself otherwise. If whoever was attacking him noticed that Percy wasn't fighting back it didn't stop them from kicking him several times while he was on the ground.

When the blows stopped Percy opened his eyes to see who was standing over him and gasped.

It was a man, a rather large one, dressed in only a ragged pair of pants trying to catch his breath as he stood over Percy. What brought Percy to a new level of fear however was the blood. It was covering his claw like hands all the way up to his elbows, all across his chest and sickeningly enough layered around his mouth.

The man smiled so Percy could see that his teeth had been filed to resemble some sort of monster from a horror movie complete with bits of rotting flesh stuck in between them. He was lumbering over to Percy when he tried to get back on his feet and make a run for it.

Somehow he managed to get on his hands and knees until a foot slammed down on his back. There was a crack. Then a burning in his chest that meant at least one of his ribs was fractured. Between the blood from his nose and the pain everywhere it was getting harder and harder for him to breathe and all he could think about was how he didn't want Marcus to be the one to find his body.

The foot was still pinning Percy down when he heard the man start to laugh. "Yev barely put up a fight. Tha all ya got fer Greyback?" Since Percy was too terrified to speak Greyback continued, "To bad. Maybe this'll put some sass in ya."

Percy wasn't left wondering what Greyback meant for very long. Removing his foot Greyback grabbed Percy by the back of his neck and tossed him over the edge of the bed. Another blow to the kidneys stopped any struggling or screaming on Percy's part when one hand held Percy down and the other started to undo his zipper.

Things started to become fuzzy around the edges of Percy's vision as he felt his pants being shoved around his knees. "Please," he chocked, "don't."

It was a mistake to expect any sort of sympathy from Greyback. "Don't? Don't what? Ya should feel flattered," he cooed, "I don't normally go fer the older crowd." Dear God it was possible for Percy to feel more disgusted

When he felt a hand reaching lower and lower Percy knew it was too late. He had survived a nuclear apocalypse and the rise of the undead only to fall into the hands of a cannibalistic pedophile.

"Tell ya what. Why don't ya ask me real nice and I'll see about bein gentle?" Greyback teased. "Give ya some nice memories?" Leaning over Percy Greyback moaned as Percy tried to escape the finger entering him roughly. When another pushed in almost immediately after Percy couldn't help but cry out. "Poor thing," Greyback mocked, "mustn't have gotten any decent cock in a blue moon."

For a moment Percy's hatred of Greyback outweighed his fear. "Go to hell," he cursed. It seemed as though Greyback hadn't heard him until pulled out and spit on his palm and smeared it over his erection.

"However ya like it." That was all the warning Percy got before Greyback was pushing into him. Percy was on fire, screaming and clawing at the mattress while his rapist stopped halfway inside of him. In complete contrast to Percy Greyback was completely calm and at ease while he moved both his hands around Percy's waist. "Might have to start makin more exceptions." With that said he shoved inside of Percy completely and began thrusting in and out at a rapid rate.

Every single movement for Percy was pure agony. Gradually the short, jarring pace took on another layer of agony as Greyback was able to use his blood as a lubricant and pull out almost completely before slamming back in. When his voice gave out Percy buried his face in the sheets and sobbed. Sand and gunpowder, they were on Marcus' side of the bed.

Percy almost welcomed the feeling of semen inside of him because it meant Greyback was finally finished with him. Exhausted and filthy Percy could only moan when the monster roughly pulled out of him. Adjusting his pants Greyback smirked as Percy trembled on the bed. "Feel better knowin yer place bitch?"

Without a word Percy moved his legs onto the bed so he could curl up on the opposite end. Eventually he steadied his breathing enough to speak. "Leave."

This struck Greyback as hilarious. Lumbering over to lock the door he removed his pants completely and approached the bed. Panic renewed Percy began yelling and struggling anew while Greyback climbed on top of him. Quick work was made of his shirt while Percy struggled to stay conscious from the pain in his ribcage. Greyback soon had Percy's legs thrown over his shoulders as he ran his hands over Percy's body. "Think I'll stay." Staring up at Greyback Percy tried not to think about what was happening, had happened and was going to happen again.

Then the door was slammed off its hinges and a shotgun went off. Percy couldn't help but yell when Greyback's nails tore across his stomach before he lunged towards Marcus. Unable to move fast enough Marcus was tackled into the hall and out of Percy's sight as the two fought. He heard the shotgun go off again along with several crashes and yelling before the house became eerily silent.

Percy had managed to sit up and was leaning against the headboard when Marcus stood in the doorway. It was obvious Marcus hadn't come from the fight completely fine but at least he could still stand. Their eyes met, catching Percy off guard when he realized he wasn't the only one crying. "Marcus?"

He didn't need to say anything else; Marcus was holding Percy in his arms before he could flinch away. "I'm sorry Percy. That bastard is dead and anyone that's ever known him." Marcus continued on the same vein and held Percy tighter against him.

Dirty. That's how he felt. Dirty, used, scared and so many other horrible things Percy knew in the very back of his mind weren't true that he couldn't stop repeating to himself. He wanted everything to be fixed and make the pain stop. Starting with letting Marcus burn the mattress and spend the next several days building a fence with a locked gate and reinforcing the doors and windows.

Wild Grapes

It was so kind of Oliver's uncle Adam so allow Percy to get a closer look at the grapes in his vineyard. Percy didn't get to leave the country very often and he planned on enjoying this vacation before having to return to the dreary weather of England.

So, while Percy had a wonderful time meandering about outside Oliver was locked in the house. It was unfortunate to hear Oliver pining away but Percy was hell bent on not getting lost for another eight hours. Besides, his boyfriend still hadn't explored all the hidden passageways his uncle had hinted at. No guilt whatsoever on Percy's part was needed.

Fine. He might have felt slightly bad walking among the grapes (with the house in sight) without a familiar chattering clawing at his ears. Percy leaned down to take a small rest, perhaps if he found a new rock or something Oliver would stop sulking over dinner.

That's when he was tackled into the dirt, just barely avoiding several vines. Oliver was on top of him with Percy in a hug that would have put Hagrid to shame.

Staring up at the sky while trying breath Percy realized he no longer felt sorry for Oliver. Instead he wished he had locked him in a closet. "You're crushing me Oliver. Very thoroughly." The only response was for Oliver to curl around him further and bury his face in Percy's neck. "I can't breathe Oliver."

The hold was loosened somewhat. "I can't help it. I'm weak, you there, all cute and outdoory and I couldn't resist. I love you a lot. So much it hurts."

"So you have decided to strangle me?" As an afterthought Percy added, "I love you to."

"No. I just had to hug you." Percy relaxed slightly and let himself forget the dirt smeared on his clothes. Oliver, bless his heart, is more than a bit loony and mostly it's best just to ride these things out. Besides, it's nice to be told you're loved every once in a while.

When Oliver was satisfied he let go and sprawled on the ground in front of Percy who sat up to stretch some of the kinks out of his neck. "Happy?"

"Very." They sat in peace sometime before Oliver spoke up again. "Did you ever think about what if you had ended up dating someone else?"

Percy laughed, "Oliver, between living together for seven years and you stalking me in between Quidditch practice I never thought about being with anyone else." It was true; Oliver had actually gone as far as to enroll in seventh year potions with Percy. He wasn't sure who wanted to die more, Professor Snape or Oliver.

"What about that bloke in fifth year?" This was unusual; Oliver wasn't one to act insecure in anything let alone their relationship. If anything Percy was the one having to remind himself that soon to be famous athlete or not Oliver was very much faithful to him.

When Oliver shuffled over lay his head in Percy's lap he let him. "He wasn't interested in 'dating' and I turned him down quite firmly." The wind started to pick up and Percy looked at the house with longing. Hoping Oliver was feeling better he prodded him, "Did you find any of those passages?"

That perked him up. Percy was on his feet and being dragged towards the house before he could blink. "Several, one of thems a bedroom."

"Similar to the room we're staying in?"

Oliver's eagerness nearly tripped them up on the stairs to the back porch. "Nope. This one has a door and it isn't facing the living room and doesn't have Granny Wood's portrait anywhere.

Despite behavior and protests to the contrary Percy is definitely a young man in love. Needless to say he caught onto Oliver's intentions. Whether or not he was going to act on them was entirely up to if Oliver could dispel the image of his grandmother scowling down at the pair from Percy's mind.

Garden Shed

Creeping downstairs Percy was very careful in avoiding Ginny's open door as he snuck out the back. Wincing at the frost in the air and snow on his bare feet Percy headed for the broom shed. Hopefully no one felt like a midnight ride.

Shuffling across the cold and slush Percy shoved the door aside and stepped in. Marcus Flint looked very out of place against miscellaneous pieces of his father's collection strewn about and worn brooms thrown against the wall. He could see the look of disdain quite clearly. "Marcus?"

"What?" The older boy snapped.

This confused Percy, he had just been settling down to bed when a note had flown almost straight towards his eye. It had been a note from Marcus telling him to get outside and soon. Percy tried asking again, "Why did you need to see me? Wont your father-"

"Forget about the old bastard." Percy was more then used to Marcus and his disrespect, perhaps even hatred, for his father. But he knew despite this that Mr. Flint commanded fear and authority in his household. The thought of his son running off in the middle of the night to see his 'whore' would not go over well. Percy could only be grateful that as far as Mr. Flint knew Marcus was sleeping with several Slytherin girls. Well actually Marcus was but no one needed to know that a certain redhead was also on that list.

Percy ended up standing against the door awkwardly while waiting for Marcus to stop sneering at the shed and say something. Eventually he turned to Percy but kept a rickety table between them. "What's this about you being invited out to New Years?"

Suddenly the memory of the snow and wind outside seemed downright cozy compared to the atmosphere in the shed. "With Emil Adlam? He invited me to his house next week."

Marcus began to move around the table and Percy found himself struggling to keep it between them until their positions were switched. "You're going?"

Percy replied quickly. "Of course, he was very polite and asked if I have a date for New Year. I told him I didn't and that I would love to join him." It had all been very sweet; Percy could have sworn that the blond was going to trip over himself in his eagerness to follow him everywhere.

Before Percy could get out of the way Marcus had him cornered. Towering over him Marcus moved both hands to rest against the wall beside Percy's head. He leaned forward before asking, "As his date?"

"Yes. I don't understand why you're so upset."

Apparently this was the worst possible thing that Percy could have said. Before he could try squirming away Marcus had Percy roughly by the shoulders so his arms were pinned at his sides. But he didn't say anything. Oh no, he just glared at the terrified redhead and started to squeeze harder until Percy was sure there would be bruises tomorrow.

Why did everyone underestimate him? With two older brothers and four devious younger siblings Percy definitely knew a few things about brawling. Ceasing his struggles Percy immediately went limp; forcing Marcus grip to loosen a bit which gave him the opportunity to bring a foot hard against his would be captor's knee. Instead of fleeing Percy kept on the offense, getting another hard kick to his stomach before trying to run.

A mistake, Marcus was far less willing to forgive the pain in his stomach and swept out to yank Percy by the ankle before crawling on top of him. "What the fuck is your problem!"

"Problem! You're the one that just grabbed me!" For no reason at all, "Why did you come here anyways?" Where was his family? Shouldn't Bill or Charlie be rushing in to 'save his virtue' as they always joked about?

Percy didn't have much time to wonder about his family, Marcus had leaned back just enough for both of them to move into a sitting position. Of course the door was still blocked and Percy wasn't going to be leaving anytime soon. "You said you're meeting Adlam."

"So? It's New Year. Everyone's out with somebody. A certain Miss Gamp was overjoyed by your invitation." Obnoxious harpy that she was it was no wonder she hadn't thrown sparkling banners throughout the school to sing her praises. Not that Percy was particularly nauseated by the twit's obsession with loudly proclaiming herself the perfect example of a pureblood woman. If anything he should be grateful. With Marcus occupied for half the week Percy finally had a few nights to himself.

A swift knock to the head threw Percy from his thoughts. "That's different." Keeping a firm grip on the redhead Marcus dragged him up to a slightly more comfortable position between himself and the wall. "I have to have a date."

"And I don't care!" Percy snapped. "Sleep with as many insane little girls as you want-"

"Including you?"

Taking the high road Percy ignored that. "Honestly, when we first started this…arrangement I did care but you told me no. So fine, we are companions in bed and nothing more. I don't intrude on your private life and expect the same from you."

It took some effort for Percy to choke out the last part of his speech, and probably more for Marcus to resist the urge to strangle him. Instead they settled for the rather awkward middle of staring at each other until Marcus broke the silence. "So that's it?"

"So it would seem." No this wasn't painful, it couldn't be. Percy had been preparing himself for this very moment for ages. Everything felt fine, not a single nervous twitch or anxiety out of place.

When Marcus stormed out Percy managed to stay on his feet. Somewhat. Actually, he relied heavily on the wall for several minutes. Especially when he heard the back door of the Burrow creaking open and several feet scurrying outside.

"Percy?" A voice called out, either Fred or George. "Come on! Mum's already got the porridge on!" The shed door opened to reveal both the twins staring at him as if he had gone completely loony. "What are ya doing out in your knickers?"

"Nothing." Percy snapped, "Is Lee here yet?"

The twins shared identical smirks, "No, but a letter from a cute Frenchie popped in with the post. Ginny was just about to read it." They were off running before Percy could be properly horrified. He was halfway through the doorway before he stopped, slowly turning around to take one last look.

If Percy expected anything he was sorely disappointed. It was the same shed as always, no secret love letters or gifts lying around. He turned back to look outside, nothing different there either. Well, he was standing outside in nothing but his underwear, which was certainly unusual. Slowly Percy headed towards the backdoor, trying to feel as exited for the New Year as he had been an hour ago.

Thorny Branch

Why did everything have to be so dark? It was the middle of the afternoon in summer for Merlin's sake. For that matter, why did Remus insist on moving to the middle of some creepy, dark woods when there were plenty of nice and cheerful forests?

Probably to detour him even further Percy thought as he tripped and several branches scratched him. He almost wished he had dropped the basket of homemade goodies he was carrying so Percy could go home.

Molly, bless her heart, had sprung into action the moment she learned Remus was living alone. With the image of a poor, starving werewolf in mind a large wicker basket was summoned and stuffed with shrunken meals of every variety. Satisfied she had cast a heating charm and mothered a visiting Percy into delivering it.

Of course the cottage wasn't hooked up to the floo and the directions in the letter were too vague for apparating to the exact location. Lucky him, just on the edge of the forest was a tiny path for Percy to try and follow. The world couldn't appreciate that he was already going far out of his way for his mother and a family friend. No, Percy had to trek through bushes, creeks and murderous trees while trying to remind himself that there couldn't possibly be anything with sharp teeth tempted by the wonderful smelling basket.

It felt as if Percy had been walking for hours by the time he stumbled upon an upturned tree for a rest. More damp then he cared for Percy was still more than happy to stretch out and stare at the forest around him. If he didn't have to drudge through it this would have been a rather lovely sight.

Oh wait, it was raining, cold, muddy, more than vaguely poisonous and Percy could hear something large rustling in the bushes. Never mind.

Remus Lupin stepped into a clearing to rest while gathering some mushrooms to find Percy Weasley standing on a log with a wand pointed at him. He couldn't help it, he laughed. Even when Percy scurried down red enough to match his hair Remus was still going. Eventually he stopped and noticed a very not amused redhead was shoving a basket in his arms that reeked of home cooking.

"Molly sent you?" Praise the woman in all of her nurturing ways. No one in her thoughts went hungry if she could help it. When he received a nod of confirmation Remus turned to head home. "You're welcome to stay for dinner."

"No thank you. I should be home by now." The impatience in Percy's voice was impossible to miss. "Mother is also expecting me any moment." Only half a lie, he didn't have tea with her until tomorrow.

Unfortunately for Percy Remus possessed the same mothering tactics as Molly and he quickly found himself shuffled into a warm cottage with a cup of tea while Remus shifted through the basket. After the war Remus had been brave enough to begin working with the Ministry for werewolves' rights and awareness. He had bought the isolated home mostly because others of his kind found it to be a more comfortable meeting place then Diagon Alley.

Percy recalled having the opportunity to meet and even work with Remus in an official capacity on a few occasions and had been very pleased. Remus and his close knit group worked tirelessly and with an unending stream of resourcefulness when faced with even the most repulsive behavior. Perhaps with a new generation and better Ministry the wizarding world could abandon some of their more draconian beliefs and policies…Well, it would certainly be easier without Rodger sticking around…

A warm bowl of soup being placed in front of him interrupted Percy's thoughts. Remus joined him across the table with a large helping of shepherd's pie. It was all delicious of course, a true testament to home cooking.

"How is Molly doing?" Remus, always courteous of others, knew the few safe topics regarding Percy and his family.

Percy briefly met Remus's eye as he reached for some bread. "Fine, she's been talking about leaving the house occasionally for volunteer work now that the nest is empty. I always did wonder what she did while we were at school."

Remus brightened significantly at the good news. "That's wonderful. The world needs more Mollys out there." Conversation flowed easily from that point and even long past their early dinner and dessert. They were both laughing over some chaos from the Marauder's time in Hogwarts when the friendly atmosphere came to an abrupt end.

For Percy it was because he felt a familiar fluttering in his stomach that had preceded Penelope, Marcus, Oliver, many (many) others, and that nice bloke from Flourish and Blotts. He would die before he admitted it in front of his mother but Percy actually carried a string of failed relationships. A long one that may or may not be decorated with the occasional 'casual night out' with a stranger and the agreement to part ways. To be having any sort of feelings for a close family friend threw Percy into a whole new ocean of anxiety.

Remus on the other hand was completely oblivious to all of this. Instead he reflected a bit. He could say with some degree of certainty that he was at peace with his friend's deaths. However something about laughing over the memory of a soaked Sirius and James dragging him into the lake struck him as incredibly surreal. It was almost impossible to explain. On one hand Remus could easily look over at the staircase and imagine his best friends as teenagers racing down them before finding some mischief. On the other that part of his life was over with an absolute finality that weighed heavily on him. Experiencing both of these feelings at once was just disorienting.

The silence around them wasn't particularly uncomfortable but it was heavy. Remus stood up to light several candles when they noticed the sun was setting. Opening a cabinet he turned back to Percy, "Wine?"

Percy smiled, tempted to say yes, "I can't I need to apparate soon."

This brought up an important question. "Could you now?" Before Percy could protest with his perfect score on the licensing test Remus held up a hand. "I don't doubt your abilities but do you know exactly where you are? And where ever it is you're going?"

Damn it. Percy was far from reckless enough too apparated with only a fuzzy sense of direction. That's how you end up without a foot in Saudi Arabia. "You wouldn't mind if I just side apparated with you would you?"

Remus pointed at the already open bottle sitting on the counter. "I had a couple of glasses right before you arrived."

Looks like Percy was staying the night. Quilts were gathered and the couch transfigured into a bed for him to settle in. Of course it was way too early for either of them to be sleeping so they found themselves chattering away reminiscent of sleepovers from their younger years. This wouldn't end the same way it often did with Oliver, Percy was sure of that and Remus hardly expected to end up a sneaking off somewhere to plant some dungbombs. Still, the company was welcome and both men went to bed happily.

They woke up to a hardy breakfast before Remus apparated Percy outside the forest with his thanks for Molly. Remembering a promise to report that the werewolf wasn't maimed or starving Percy hurried back to the Burrow. She was of course overjoyed to hear her friend had been saved from a lack of home cooked meals. By next week when Percy arrived at the Weasley home for his usual visit there was another basked and assurances that Remus was properly connected to the floo now.

Remus must have been expecting him because he already had tea ready as Percy came stumbling in. The basket was exchanged for the other before they sat down. Overwhelmed by his excitement Percy had barely poured his tea when Remus started talking, "Everyone must be eager to welcome Hermione and Harry into the family properly."

Percy shrugged, hoping to avoid a re-telling of his latest argument with his parents. "Of course, Hermione is brilliant and Harry has been part of the family since the year we met him on the platform."

Remus must have caught the hesitance in his voice, "But?"

"War heroes or not I think they're too young for this. Sometimes," Percy hesitated as he remembered Ron glaring at him, "It almost feels as if this is just another step in rebuilding." Remus was about to speak up before Percy continued, "Of course I know they love each other! I'm not doubting that at all."

"Witches and wizards often marry right after school. Two years out of Hogwarts your parents were already married and had Bill," Remus pointed out. "Molly seemed to think you were going to propose to that girl from your final year."

Grateful for the change in subject Percy tried to sound properly torn up over Penelope. "We parted ways," and the way his mother went on he and Penelope were lost halves of the same soul.

Apparently he succeeded a bit too well. All concern and wanting to help Remus leaned in to ask, "Would it help to talk about it?"

Well, there was the sex with Marcus Flint…

"No," Percy reassured, "It's fine. I heard the werewolf registry might be going under review." If Remus noticed the complete change of subject as an attempt to avoid that line of conversation he didn't comment on it, happy to jump into an enthusiastic explanation. Still a part of Percy couldn't help but look back.

After their first few encounters he had broken things off with Penelope. Percy didn't specify who but he did make their gender perfectly clear. It was an idiot mistake, the redhead had thought it would make Marcus more attached to him.

That turned into a burning mess. Marcus was not looking for a boyfriend. He was looking for something else and was more than happy to tell Percy. Reeling from the experience Percy had dived into Oliver's bed. Of course at the end of seventh year they had A Talk and decided it would be best to part ways. Thus a pattern had started.

Best to take his mind off it, Percy stopped the occasional nod or hum to actually participate in the conversation. Hours later they separated to get a good night's sleep.

Two days later Percy noticed that he had left his cloak behind. A note was sent from his office and an hour later his assistant returned with a message. Remus had found his cloak and was going to be in Diagon Alley that afternoon. "I'll be having lunch at Elby's. Could you tell him to meet me there?" Wide eyed and eager the assistant scurried off.

Everything was arranged, moments after sitting down at his usual table he was joined by Remus. The cloak returned in a slightly better condition and Percy insisted they have lunch together. After all, Remus was a family friend; it would be rude just to send him off. Right, if there was one thing Percy had ever succeeded in it was self denial.

Their usual amount of conversation aside things felt different between the two. Remus certainly seemed less subdued, brighter even. Instead of bothering him every few minutes with longing looks Percy's usual waitress had scuttled into the kitchen. People, very subtly and only occasionally were glancing at the two. What an odd couple they must make.

Couple? Was this a date? The lurching in Percy's stomach shifted through him and before he could get himself under control glasses were tipped over and Percy was busy apologizing to a soaked Remus. "Sorry! Please let me fix it." By some miracle Percy was focused enough to cast the cleaning spell. Perhaps a bit too well considering he could have swore Remus didn't have that tear in his robes before…

Remus, in a moment of kindness that Percy could only be silently grateful for, didn't seem too terrible concerned. Even as the redhead was trying to spontaneously combust he simply resumed eating. "The tea here is good. Do you think they import it?"

"Possibly. It actually seems similar to what we had in Egypt." Amazingly it only took a little while for Percy to once again feel at ease. Well, as at ease as Percy possibly could he just wasn't a naturally relaxed person.

When his lunch was over Percy regretted it terribly even as he said goodbye to a cheerful Remus. Months ago he been offered a longer lunch hour with his promotion but he had brushed it aside in favor of getting more paperwork done. Now he was kicking himself over it.

Returning to work actually didn't grant him an immediate sense of relief. Instead he waited out the day until he could rush home and pull apart every word and gesture from that day. Lounging on his couch he felt the stress and tension piling on him. Briefly he thought about going to the quiet little bar just a few blocks down the street.

He didn't, not that night or any other that week. Percy wanted to say it was simply because he was too exhausted from his hectic work days but that was impossible. What Percy chose to do was throw himself into replying to the letters he started receiving from Remus. Safe topics dominated most pages but occasionally more personal bits and pieces snuck their way in-between the lines.

Remus actually was the first person to see Percy's new flat after he got a raise. They ended up drinking way to much wine and waking up squished together in the tub. With all of their clothes on which made the experience twice as bizarre for Percy. Of course they had just managed to freshen up from their hangovers when Ginny decided to walk in for an early breakfast.

Shortly after Molly insisted the Remus be required to join the Weasley Sunday dinners. As always they sat together and no one seemed to question it. Well, not in front of them anyways. The general consensus was that they were a very private couple. Fred and George were of course banned from so much as opening their mouths about the two.

When Percy became important enough to warrant bringing a guest to Ministry gatherings Remus seemed like the natural choice. After all with no official position Remus couldn't always warrant an invitation of his own.

So nearly a year after Percy dragged himself through the forest nothing seemed wrong with flooing over for a nice, quiet evening. Remus only briefly looked up from his book as Percy settled next to him with his own. When an hour passed they both rummaged through the cupboards for some food.

The rest of the evening was just as casual. Hardly a word was spoken between them until it was time for Percy to go. After saying his goodbyes Percy was just about to step into the fireplace when Harry came smashing into him. Luckily they managed to stay standing and Harry was stuttering out an apology. "Sorry to ruin your romantic evening. I'll just…wait upstairs." Faster than a snitch he was bounding up the stairs, leaving two very confused men behind.

"I'll go upstairs to correct him." Remus suggested.

"No! I mean-" Merlin why was he talking and when did he become such an idiot? "I mean you don't have to. Correct him I mean." Finished speaking, hopefully for the rest of his life, Percy stared at the floor by Remus's feet.

In the middle of wishing a meteor would crush him a hand reached out to cover Percy's shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Seeing that he was still alive he could only answer one way, "No."

"No?"

"No." Percy did not want to have his feeling surfaced. Ever, because it would surely mean adding yet another name to the long list of people to avoid for the rest of his life.

The hand on his shoulder moved slowly until Percy's face was being turned to face Remus. "I would have enjoyed a romantic evening," he said shyly.

It felt as if his throat was being stuffed with moss when Percy was finally able to speak. "With me?"

Remus smiled and for the first time Percy noticed the slight creases around his eyes alongside various laugh lines. "Yes you."

Oh. This was someone that not only actually liked Percy but also happened to be an actual friend. They had better hurry up and get rid of Harry then.

Woven Basket

If Severus could get away with it Percy knew he would be dead. Instead the potions master settled for slowly going over every aspect of how being separated from his lab for a few hours could doom them all. It was when he went into a tangent about poppies boiling over that Percy finally intervened.

"Severus, you do not have a cauldron of poppies waiting to explode. You hate poppies and always use milkweed instead. Now try to enjoy this would you?" Really, it was a beautiful day out. Severus didn't have to act as if Percy was dragging him through a dragon's den to save a group of first years.

A picnic that's all he wanted. Was that so much to ask for? Percy had even waited for the best springtime weather and watched his lover's syllabus like a hawk for a break in grading. Most couples would be out having the time of their lives. Not trying to sulk under a tree and avoiding Percy as he spread a blanket out and set the basket down to begin opening it. "You do realize you're eating off the dirt."

Percy didn't stop spreading the food out; he had gone through to much effort to pack favorites to suddenly be fearful of germs. "No, we're eating off of a blanket cleaner than any surface in your own home." When Severus didn't make a move to come any closer Percy rolled his eyes, "You're the one sitting directly on the dirt with all of the damp worms and beetles."

For several minutes it seemed as if Percy was going to be eating his salad alone until Severus quietly spoke, "This isn't like you."

"What? I drag you out all the time Severus. Just last week I coerced you into lunch with Mother at Hogsmeade." Of course he had been moody for hours afterwards but Percy wasn't going to look like a loon with an imaginary lover.

Tired of having to look directly into the sun to face Percy Severus finally walked over to join him. Waving away an offered sandwich he picked at a loose thread on the blanket. "I seem to recall lukewarm tea and a screeching child nearby. But I meant the picnic, neither of us is the outdoors type."

"I like this, the weather is nice, the food is good and we're alone for once." Alone. What a lovely word. With a castle full of children Percy liked to think he had a good idea of how his parents must have felt for all those years. Curfew didn't even stop them! Half of Slytherin house just ignored it or waited for Severus to show up at the dorm.

Knowing he was in love with a man capable of being incredibly dedicated to his students was fine with Percy. Except when he also had to compete with potions while still finding the time to keep an entire department of the Ministry from exploding into chaos. That was the final straw that meant demanding some time away from both of their places of work.

So facing the complete destruction of his peace of mind Percy had resorted to extremes and dragged a disgruntled Severus outside. Normally he would hate this as well but the redhead was too busy enjoying the lack of conspiring students or teachers in need of assistance.

With complete Serenity Percy poured himself a mug of lemonade from the thermos. "We should do this more often." Severus was too busy glaring at him to give a proper reply. "I'm not trying to kill you Severus, just get some alone time with you."

"Then charm the door shut. Do all Weasleys lack common sense?" The poor blanket now had a growing hole in it thanks to Severus's efforts. Well, at least he took a break to occasionally fiddle with the clasp keeping the basket closed. Percy was one of the few people that knew the extent of the older man's fidgeting. He thought it was endearing, even if he was met with fierce disagreement.

"Well yes I did try that a few times. Do you remember what happened? It was past ten o'clock, I had finally fixed Rostin's complete failure to follow proper procedure that is there for a reason," Percy had to take a deep breath to stay calm and on topic. "And you had finally graded all of the students midyear tests since you're insane enough to have every class take them at the same time. Finally we are alone-"

"Are your insane ramblings going anywhere?"

"Of course. Now just eat something would you? I practically sliced a finger off to get the crusts right. Now, we were alone for the first time in weeks with no interruptions so I charm not only the entrance to your rooms shut but every other door as well. Mr. Malfoy still finds a way to 'innocently' walk in on one of our more…intimate moments. Then his father the week after that. What does that prove to you?"

"The Malfoys are a long and ancient line of voyeurs," Severus answered dryly.

Percy watched the man he loved take apart and reassemble his cucumber sandwich trying to guess just how much sarcasm verses misunderstanding was in that sentence. Either way it was best to give up. Flopping backwards into the grass Percy looked up at the sky with great patience. "Absolutely. So if we want any sort of privacy its best that we convince everyone we are the type of boring and mundane couple that goes on picnics."

To Percy's surprise Severus sprawled out to join him. "Only if a nap is part of your plan. If I have to look at another dimwitted Gryffindor I can no longer claim responsibility for my actions and you're going to have to explain to Minerva why her entire house has been stranded in the lake."

"Fine. But only if you don't judge to me harshly when the papers learn about me smuggling Rostin to Reykjavík or somewhere equally cold and out my way." Hmm, plans of revenge and sleep. Percy could only stare dreamily at the clouds even while Severus went off about some idiot's mistake with his latest order of ingredients. Some things just couldn't be neglected.

Cotton Candy

Percy didn't have much of a sweet tooth but he gladly ate the cotton candy given to him by his niece. "Thank you Victoire."

Pleased with herself the two year old toddled off to continue helping her mother pass out various goodies purchased at the food stands. Off in the distance other young children were dragging their parents off to see various exhibits and even a few magically powered carnival rides. Percy was staying in the shaded area covered in benches with a few other tired adults.

"Tell your brother to stop bothering me about children."

"What?" Percy turned behind him to see Severus eyeing Bill with disdain.

"I wasn't bothering anyone! Just a bit curious." Perhaps sensing the imminent danger her husband was in Fleur joined the three of them with Victoire at her side and baby Dominique in her arms.

"Curious? About what?"

Bill shrugged, still uncomfortable under the full attention of his former professor. "Children."

Fleur lit up instantly, "O! About zat, could you please watch ze children on Saturday?"

Percy wouldn't have minded in the least but given the current mood of his husband it didn't exactly sound like the best idea so he had to decline. "I'm sorry but I think we might be busy as well that night." Disappointed Fleur thanked him for considering before spotting Ginny and moving to join her.

Bill sat down to join him, snatching a few strands of candy from his lap. "That's fine. Perfectly fine," he would have continued but seemed to be withering under the heavy concentration of Severus who had sat down beside him.

For the sake of his brother Percy felt that is was best for him to intervene. "Babysitting isn't that horrible Severus. We've done it before remember?"

"Your idiot brother wasn't talking about that," Severus snapped.

"There's no need to be angry Severus, I'm sure he didn't mean to offend. Right Bill?" Percy only paid half-hearted attention. Slight arguments such as this were hardly new and his mother made quite a sight in the distance cooing over her newest grandchild while waving for Andromeda to bring Teddy over.

Bill was very quick to agree with his brother, "Absolutely. It just took you two so long to get married we were wondering if you two were considering a brood of your own."

"Absolutely."

"Never."

Startled, Severus and Percy turned to face each other. "What do you mean?" Percy asked, "Mother and Father have plenty of grandchildren."

"What do I care about other people's children?" Severus retorted. Suddenly Bill was feeling incredibly awkward to be sitting in the middle.

"That's horrible Severus, having a niece or nephew over is more than enough for me. Can you imagine the nightmare it would be to keep a child out of my paperwork constantly? And what about your potions lab?"

"There is an incredible invention called the lock. I've also heard several spells will make do." Oh yes, Bill wanted to melt into himself. He swore it was only thoughts of Fleur and the children that prevented him from doing so.

"Well fine then. Exactly where are we going to get a child?" You know what, Bill would settle with suddenly being set on fire so he could politely run away.

"In case you have forgotten there was quite recently a war going on meaning there are orphans everywhere. Or we could always find a willing witch-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence Severus." It could actually be quite pleasant, a nice burning sensation to replace the hippogriffs dancing in his stomach.

"Well, I think you would be great parents." Was that him speaking? When the two arguing wizards remembered there was someone in between them and begun glaring at him Bill realized that yes, he had spoken up.

Severus at least seemed somewhat pleased. "Even your brother agrees, and he's already started a new batch of Gryffindor's to terrorize me."

"I don't care what my brother thinks!" Percy snapped then quickly apologized, "I'm sorry Bill I think you have plenty of good opinions and your children are wonderful." Now he turned back to Severus, "I just don't want to keep any of them."

"It would be different with a child of our own." Severus insisted. "We wouldn't let ours run loose without proper clothes." Great, now his brother in law and former professor was criticizing his skills as a parent just because Victoire couldn't always keep her dress on. They were itchy; the little girl had informed both of her parents herself.

"Just because Bill has troubles keeping track of his children doesn't mean we will do any better." Oi! In case no one had noticed Dominique could crawl faster than a baby dragon. Charlie had confirmed it last week when he had to help him find the baby somewhere in the attic before Fleur came home.

Bill was wise enough to keep his trap shut on the subject since once again he was being ignored. "Nonsense, it would only take discipline. Our children could easily be far ahead by their first year of Hogwarts."

"Who said they would go to Hogwarts? I don't want any child of mine exposed to all the inner house fighting. The other day I had Ross refusing to work with Jones or Carmine because they used to be in Slytherin. Forty years after their school days and people are still obsessed with what house people were in. It's just ridicules, besides it's so important to be fluent in another language these days I was thinking about a school in Italy or even Spain."

"So you have been considering our options." Severus certainly sounded smug.

"Only very briefly and you can't deny the benefits of being bilingual." Bill spotted Ron and Hermione walking by and tried to subtly wave like a lunatic to get them nearby. It didn't work of course.

If either man saw a flailing idiot sandwiched between them they didn't comment on it. Instead Severus continued to pursue the subject of children. "It will have to be Russian. I know my supplier in Moscow has been cheating me on the accounts because he claims he can't write in English."

"You think everyone is trying to cheat you. Or sleep with me which is just ridicules." Bill had to roll his eyes, without him and Charlie it was a miracle Percy had remained oblivious towards everything outside his studies. At least that was Snape's problem now.

"I only speak the truth. Now about nurseries, all those pastel colors are simply to nauseating to endure. Greens will do nicely."

"Would you stop assuming that you have convinced me already!" Several strangers turned to look at the three causing Percy to blush and continue quietly. "Bill's already spent months complaining to Charlie about how he and Fleur can't agree on how to raise the children. We can't even agree on the proper way to cook breakfast."

Deciding it was time to save himself Bill spoke up during a lull in the argument before someone remembered he was alive and could hear. "I think I hear Victoire calling for her daddy." While it was certainly tempting to stick around and defend himself he was fairly sure no comments were meant to be spiteful.

Before he could make his grand escape three steps from the bench Snape had him pinned down with a look. "Weasley, stay here and tell your brother he's making the wrong decision."

"Nonsense. Bill, I can't watch any of your children if I'm saddled with my own." Damn it he was so close.

Before Bill could say anything Severus was speaking as he stood up to stop Percy from leaving. "As if that would be a great tragedy, Dominique was the one to vomit under the couch."

"Exactly. Children vomit Severus. All the time and I'm not including the horrible stories about having to watch the twins, Ron and Ginny when they were sick with the dragon pox." Wait a minute; Bill didn't have any memory of that happening.

"That's because your parents bred beyond their capacity and forced you to help raise your siblings. We're smarter than that. Also, our children won't vomit."

There was no way that Bill could allow Snape to outright insult his parents. "Wait a damned minute-"

"Shut up Bill. Go help Fleur or Ginny watch the kids would you?" Dismissed completely Percy turned his full attention to his husband. "Severus, we are talking about natural bodily functions that everyone has."

Severus was still perfectly nonchalant. "With the exception of some poor infant in an orphanage that we are meant to raise."

It was getting difficult for even Percy to guess if Severus was still being serious or not but he still had to keep arguing. "Nonsense. Although useful there has to be more criteria than that. What about a family history of squibs or illness? No, no, you have to be incredibly careful about proper research."

Seeing his chance Bill practically ran towards the other side of the fair where he met with his mother.

"Oh dear, where did Percy wander off to?"

"He's off arguing with Snape about their future complacent, well-dressed, trilingual child with the ability to never barf and a family history of immunity to everything."

If Molly found anything Bill had said the least bit odd she didn't blink twice. "I was wondering when they were going to start a family."

Taste of Summer

It was officially the second week of summer and Percy's first day of his vacation. People were still meandering about happily exposing themselves to the sun. Except for Percy, he was stuck in the Minister's home finishing several last minute reports. Of course he could look at the beautiful outdoors from a comfortable window seat in the study. Kingsley's home overlooked a park. One that he could be relaxing in with a good book, Percy couldn't help sighing over his stack of papers.

"Are you still upset? Because I believe we should be directing our emotions elsewhere." Kingsley had better be referring to strangling the Head of the Department of Mysteries for suddenly demanding that a box of reports be read through.

Percy tore his gaze away from the window just long enough to glare, "Aren't these extremely confidential and for your eyes only?" The way the poor assistant had gone on early that morning the variously sized boxes were likely to burst into flames just because of Percy's presence.

With all the wisdom in the world Kingsley merely shrugged, "Then she should have given me more than three days. Besides, it was a sign from Merlin himself that you were here this morning."

"That will certainly teach me to stay over." Percy muttered before turning the page. At least the information was interesting. Who knew that there may be a Rosier running around the Czech Republic?

Arms wrapped around him despite Percy's attempts to shrug them off. "You can't possibly mean that. I thought you enjoyed yourself quite a bit."

"Maybe," Percy bluffed, "but the morning after certainly isn't worth it." He grabbed a small journal from the top of a stack Small, cramped, handwriting stood out in blue ink and Percy caught the number four written several times each page just casually skimming through a few pages.

Kingsley didn't take the hint but he did leave only one arm around Percy when they moved to an overstuffed couch. With a certain amount of glee he attacked a handful of papers with a quill. "So many chances have been dashed. I will have to jinx Mrs. Emmaline Ross if she continues to use paperwork to ruin my summer."

"That's what I've been telling you for hours. See? You don't even listen to me."

"Nonsense. Every word you speak is pure gold. Hand me a new quill will you?" One was reluctantly handed over and the two sat in silence for some time. Percy stewing in frustration and Kingsley as charming as ever. For both of them the room gradually began to shrink until the open window seemed to dominate the entire wall.

Percy couldn't help but stare at it in longing. From the other end of the room he could see the treetops rustling in the wind, the bright sunshine. The first time in his entire career that he took a vacation to enjoy himself and his boss pins him down…To work! Merlin's pants he needed to get his mind out of the gutter. That type of thinking had been the source of his problems in the first place.

The hand that had been fiddling with the waist of his trousers suddenly shot up to the back of Percy's neck. "I was thinking the opera for our next date."

"Date?" Percy had to set the sheets of paper aside. "Is that what you think last night was?"

Kingsley was all smugness, "I'm hardly the person to question your virtue." If Percy was a violent person he certainly hit the older man. Instead he carelessly threw the papers aside and gave up on reading.

"I'm going." He was halfway towards the door when Kingsley began to follow.

"Perfect. There's a sandwich shop on the corner." There was no use in trying to talk Kingsley out of it. All Percy could do was stay two steps ahead while he was bombarded with casual chatter. Even when he passed the shop and headed straight for the wooded area of the park he was followed.

It was still infuriating when Percy sat under a tree and was joined seconds later. "Would you go away?"

"No because I refuse to let this opportunity slip out of my fingers. You are much to amazing to be used as a one-night stand."

Percy sighed, grateful no one was around to listen to the Minister of Magic describing his sex life. "I used you for a one-night stand actually. And I don't mind in the least."

"But I do." Of course someone walked by just as Kingsley was pulling Percy closer to him.

Prying none too gently at the fingers tracing the outline of his hip Percy tried to remain staring at the ground. "You have my deepest apologies then." More casual walkers approached, definitely interested in what was going on.

Kingsley didn't particularly care. "You're not going to just ignore this."

"Ignore what?"

"We slept together; I have feelings of an intimate nature towards you." Percy winced; did he have to raise his voice? Before he could find a way to quiet him down or point out the openly interested group of people Kingsley continued. "I think you are brilliant Percy and I want to date you."

"Don't say that!" Percy hissed. "Are you insane? This is going to be all over the papers tomorrow. My mother reads the Prophet every day!"

Kingsley chuckled, "I think she's read much worse. Now, what about the opera on Saturday? I believe that wonderful Louisa Medina has come up with what is supposed to be the masterpiece of her career."

"Are you listening to me at all?"

"No. Would you prefer dinner and a play? I'm not sure about anyone as popular as the theater near Diagon Alley but we could manage." All the while Kingsley kept a very pleasant tone and even waved to a young witch with a camera. Percy did his best to disappear off the face of the earth.

After a while Percy realized his efforts were in vain. Standing up only worsened the problem as Kingsley's hand not so subtly moved lower. "I'm going home."

"See you Saturday."

Romeo

"Would you remember to say your lines?" Angelina Johnson, head of the student run drama department yelled. "Come on Oliver, we only have a couple of weeks practice before spring sports start up. How are you going to lead the football team if we have to keep doing the same scene over and over again?"

Oliver Wood, who happened to make a charming Romeo, stared off of the stage at Angelina rather sadly. "I can't help it. I know we're supposed to be doing the big scene where Romeo sees Juliet and falls madly in love but I can't help it. Have you even looked at Percy's ass in those tights? It's amazing!"

Angelina ignored the snickering from the rest of the group, Percy's humiliation and Lavender's indignation. "No Oliver," she couldn't help bringing up both hands to rub her temples, "I haven't and although I'm sure it's a lovely sight-"

"I'd say!" Lee Jordan interrupted from the crowd as Percy grew redder.

"Shut up Jordan. You're not even supposed to be in this scene." Angelina had to take several deep breaths before continuing. "Wood, just pay attention to Brown and stop missing your lines. Weasley, move to the back."

With a minimum of fuss the directions were followed and soon the students started the scene over again. Lavender was every ounce the fiery young woman, Percy stayed with his back to the wall and Oliver once again missed his cue.

"Damn it Wood what was it this time?" At least Oliver looked properly ashamed as Angelina scolded him.

Eventually he was allowed to speak up. "I was just thinking about a little change in the play."

Lavender was the one to reply first. "No! I'm Juliet. We're not having your boyfriend cross-dress to steal my part."

Percy was of course equally loud with his protests. "For the last time that was Oliver's idea! I don't want to be Juliet."

Angelina stopped her pacing to collapse on a seat in the front row. "We've been over this Oliver. Everyone keeps their assigned roles."

"No, nothing like that. I was just thinking about a little script change." Judging by Oliver's beaming smile Angelina's life was going to be descending into a lower level of hell. Why did Romeo's understudy have to get the measles? Seemingly encouraged by Angelina's resigned stare Oliver perked up a bit while moving in front of Fred and George to continue. "I was just thinking it always just seemed like Tybalt is jealous of Juliet ya know? I mean Romeo may be a bit of a dunderhead but he's hot and instead of wanting a piece of kickass red-head he goes after his thirteen year old cousin!"

"What's your point Oliver?"

"Tybalt and Romeo should be the ones to hook up." Several students, including Percy, were immediately protesting crimes against great literature. Others were delighted by this new turn of events. Fred and George loudly proclaimed that Mercutio and Benvolio had to be sleeping together and Lavender wanted to marry the prince.

They were so caught up in their arguments that no one paid attention to Angelina yelling at them to shut up. In a fit of desperation she was forced to run backstage and flick the lights on and off several times. Sadly resorting to preschool tactics worked, they shut up and looked at the ceiling with an almost comical confusion.

Angelina walked through the cluster of curtains onstage and motioned for everyone to gather around her. "Everyone, we have memorized our lines for Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. That's the play we're performing. Oliver, if you have to look like an idiot and close your eyes for half the play go ahead. Percy, keep your back to the wall and stop looking pretty. Fred! George! Get your hands off each other and keep it at a smothering tension. I'm sorry Lavender but royalty isn't in your future. Everyone else get back to your positions."

Slowly the scene was set again with nearly half the actors still moping. Things even went well until the part when Romeo and Juliet danced together. Not so subtle longing glances were cast at an annoyed Tybalt. Mercutio and Benvolio kept dancing with each other and of course Juliet stomped on Romeo's feet more than once when the prince fluttered by.

All Angelina could do was shrug. They were saying the right lines and managing to look at each other at least.

Three weeks later Romeo and Juliet: The Only Slight Revised Edition premiered.

Forgotten Secret

Everything was quite comfortable in Lucius' room. At first Percy had felt ridicules and more than slightly belittled sitting at the older man's feet but with a warm fire and hands in his hair Percy was soon to drowsy to care. It seemed he would be staying the night since Draco wouldn't be home for several days and Narcissa was still in Florence.

"Our families used to be quite close."

Percy opened his eyes and tried to understand what had just been said. To help Lucius allowed him to move back a bit so he was more or less sitting on his own. "Close? I was under the impression our families have always hated each other." His voice took on a slightly amused tone. "Something about the Weasleys being blood traitors."

"That barely started three centuries ago, how else would your family have remained pure? I am referring to something at least several decades before that." Percy certainly disagreed with most of what Lucius was saying but he still waited with interest for him to continue speaking. Lucius was never one to pass up an opportunity to lecture.

Patiently Percy waited for Lucius to continue even as he was pulled back and Lucius reached around him to start undoing the clasp on his robe. When Lucius instructed him to lie in front of the fire however, he gave up. "Then what was it that really caused the hatred between our families?"

Lucius didn't look up from where he was shedding his own robes. "Unfortunately the Malfoy records lack any specific information. They go from warm business relations and several visits to neighboring estates and then nothing. Perhaps your father would be able to provide more information?" It was obvious from his tone of voice that Lucius doubted that Arthur could remember his lunch let alone obscure family information. But it wasn't outright rude which was as much as Percy could ever expect from him. Besides, his father had never been comfortable telling any of the Weasley children the names of his own brothers let alone any sort of family history so Percy hardly expected him to be of much help on the subject.

Percy needn't worry about any more jabs against his family and how best to deal with them because that was it for conversation of the coherent variety for that night. When Percy woke up it was Sunday, his clothes were neatly laid out and he was alone.

He didn't mind, there were a variety of reasons for Lucius to leave, his wife or son most likely although an important piece of business would not be out of the question.

If anything Percy was glad that Lucius hadn't stuck around if something important came up. At first the two had been much more cautious about their affair but lately Lucius had become less so. It had gotten to the point where the only precaution Lucius was seriously taking was to make sure the house was empty when Percy visited. He heavily suspected that it was only well used influence and 'donations' that kept this entire mess from the papers. There was also the very likely fact that Narcissa and Draco knew…

When that trail of thinking came up for Percy he couldn't help but delay getting out of bed for a few minutes to think it over. Was this an accepted part of Malfoy family life or did Narcissa and Draco hate him for such a selfish affair?

Oh Merlin what would his mother think if she found out? He had been single for so long that she had to be suspicious, was it time for him to start dating someone he could introduce to her? But that would certainly mean ending his relationship with Lucius. Or did it? Pushing those questions out of mind Percy was soon dressed and using the floo back to his office without breakfast.

Technically he had the day off but he couldn't resist seeing if Marsco had completed his assignment. A quick check with the secretary told him he hadn't, which gave him the excuse to wander to the other side of the Ministry. If Percy was worried about looking suspicious it was unfounded, he had a reputation for working constantly and helping out in just about every department.

He did make a point of finding Marsco and reminding him to stop flirting with his assistant and fill out some paperwork. Then it was off to check the records.

The Records Building was divided into several dozen categories, and the level of suffering depended on exactly what you were researching. Percy gazed with longing as he passed the neatly organized corridor dedicated to 14th century woodworks. If only he didn't have to keep descending down various flights of stairs that grew more and more feeble with every floor.

Finally after what seemed like forever he was standing in front of an ancient grey door that he had to shove open. He had been in this particular room once as a child with his father and unfortunately it looked as if that was the last time anyone had been in there. Papers were scattered everywhere in only the vaguest of chronological order and without care many of the older books and journals were crumbling into dust. Lighting was nonexistent and a layer of grime coated everything.

Everything Percy would have expected in a room dedicated to the history of his family. With a minimum of sighing and thankful he hadn't worn his best robes he dived in. It was overwhelming, completely unorganized but thorough enough to include every marriage, birth, death and even receipts for everyday purchases.

After well over an hour Percy could only conclude that at one point the Weasley family had been modestly wealthy. It was several more hours before Percy had to stop for the day to go home and rest after stopping by his office first. For his hours of labor Percy also walked away with several ancient deeds showing several Weasley homes being sold to several different families, the Malfoys not being one of them. Meaning he had wasted most of the day. Aside from that there were no other business dealings or other records, aside from a few duels mentioned in the paper that would indicate a feud between the families.

Resigned to a day wasted Percy grabbed a few papers that had caught his eye and headed back towards his office. Judging by the infrequent number of people he saw Percy could tell how late in the evening it was. At least it still wouldn't be unusual for him to still be hanging around with the rest of the witches and wizards too busy to cease work and go home for anything beyond the occasional meal, and rare social interaction pertaining to something outside the Ministry.

Percy had been proud to be a part of such a small, exclusive group that required such dedication. But lately…Percy could only see his pristine office with his name on the door and think about how comfortable he would be at home at such a late hour. How many hours had he spent organizing every square inch of space when he could have been enjoying a cup of tea and novel?

At least with every item so perfectly in place a thin envelope stood out even more next to a row of quills on his desk. Standing at the foot of his desk Percy neatly tore it open and began to read. It was a letter from Lucius politely requesting his company that evening. Unusual given that his wife was supposed to be back and Percy was tempted to stay at home given how tiring his day had already been but he thought better of it. Percy did not even want to imagine how a Malfoy would react to being stood up no matter how weary it left him.

The documents were re-gathered and Percy dragged himself to the fireplace, grateful that after six months Lucius had consented to connecting the floo in Percy's apartment to his study. He had also given several hints on how not to look like a blundering idiot while being flung at high speeds that Percy found particularly useful when he managed to step gracefully into the study where Lucius was waiting for him at his desk.

It took a few moments but Lucius did look up from a small ledger after Percy had sat down across from him. "I almost thought you had other business. I didn't interrupt anything did I?" Of course Lucius would be proud of the fact that there was no other business that would be considered more important than a summons from him.

"I was caught up in researching the history between our families." That certainly caught Lucius' attention.

"Show me what you found and come closer." Without question Percy walked around the desk and allowed Lucius to pull him onto his lap. It felt incredibly childish and eerily reminiscent of his father reading him bedtime stories as a child but Percy pushed those thoughts out of his mind and watched Lucius calmly looked the papers over. "Deeds?"

"Mostly yes, there are also other business transactions showing my family was forced to sell off most of their assets. I couldn't uncover why though and absolutely nothing ended up in Malfoy hands." That in itself was unusual because they were the only pureblood family not to benefit from the Weasley's financial downfall.

Percy shared this observation with Lucius who was intrigued. "You are correct. We can also be sure that the Malfoy's did not directly drive your family into debt because the laws at the time would have meant that any Weasley assets would have been given to my ancestors instead of sold to someone else."

"That doesn't leave out something more subtle or give us a reason for this decades long feud." When Lucius ignored him in favor of looking the deeds over again Percy started to wonder if this was something beyond curiosity for him. Certainly this was an interesting piece of trivia and looked to be deceptively complicated but why?

Just as Percy was about to break the silence Lucius brought a few yellowed pages that had once been part of a ledger to his attention. "Orders for dozens of yards of fabric and lace in the middle of the Weasleys selling everything they own?"

The sudden revelation startled Percy and although Lucius showed no outward signs he could see some surprise in the man's eyes as well. Without a word Percy was lifted off Lucius' lap and being led out of the study. Instead of turning the usual left towards the bedroom they took a right and soon found several staircases leading up and into an ornate hallway bearing many stern faced portraits and the Malfoy coat of arms everywhere. At the end of the hallway was a large wooden door that radiated enough magic to make Percy's eyes water.

Without a word to Percy Lucius continued to lead him down the hall until they were standing in front of the door and it was being opened. Seeing the inside of the room and various archways leading to other areas Percy's first thoughts were that this was the ideal place to keep a family history instead of some musty little hole in the Ministry's more poorly kept area.

Everything was very neatly organized onto bookshelves and clearly labeled. Tapestries, maps and even jewelry were put on display with dates and other notes beside them. Percy could even see a fleet of model ships charmed to sail across a large table engraved with images of oceans and continents along the surface. All this was gleamed from only a quick view before Lucius had grabbed his hand and started pulling him further back through several archways.

The room they stopped in was less decorated and smelled heavily of old paper and ink but that was no concern as Lucius showed him the date scribbled on the top of the page before setting it down and directing Percy towards several shelves to begin searching.

Even with two people and a good idea of what they were searching for it became abundantly clear after hours of searching that the thoroughness of the Malfoy records put them at a disadvantage. Every single minute detail of each business transaction, invitation to a social event and who was in attendance and every other possible aspect that could be recorded was there. Logically Percy knew Lucius had to be as exhausted as he was when it was suggested that they stop for dinner but he couldn't help but feel as if he was being granted a favor by the older man. Perhaps it was true and he was faking any fatigue to be considerate towards Percy. Lucius had survived two wars on the losing side with his wealth and family intact after all.

Percy stopped his thoughts there and focused on following Lucius outside and towards the back porch where an outdoor dining set was in place. It wasn't until a house elf had scurried of the kitchens that Percy thought to ask where Narcissa was.

The reply was brief and more or less that it was nothing Percy should worry about. Still nervous about another member of the Malfoy family suddenly barging in Percy tried to at least appear calm as he ate his dinner. If Lucius noticed the frequent glances towards the backdoor or windows he didn't comment on it. Instead he chose to completely shred any peace of mind that Percy had. "Severus knows."

His tea spilled when Percy dropped his spoon harshly against the cup but he hardly noticed that the rest of his meal was ruined. "Severus knows. About us?"

Lucius raised an eyebrow in half amusement. "That's hardly a well kept secret Percy. What I meant was that Severus knows that I am very interested in the history between our families. Now that we have the best idea of what we are looking for he will be joining us tomorrow." With that said the blond calmly resumed eating to give Percy time to stare at the tablecloth and try to re-gather his thoughts.

Did he know? Percy doubted Lucius did or perhaps he didn't care. Either way he wasn't going to bring the subject up. Lucius hardly deserved to know the complete story anyways with how secretive he was being about his motivations towards solving this mystery.

In a daze and far more focused on the rocks in his stomach Percy realized that he was standing in front of Lucius' bed with a pair of pajamas in hand with no idea how he had gotten there. Hearing Lucius behind him preparing for bed he followed suit with many questions still in his mind.

They didn't have sex that night which was somewhat unusual but something Percy was grateful for. In his current state of mixed emotions he doubted he could do much besides lay there and catalog everything wrong with his current situation. Hardly the most considerate behavior for anyone else involved.

That didn't mean that Percy immediately lay down and went to sleep. Far from it, he couldn't remember actually sleeping at all besides fitful dozing in-between worrying. Sometime in between tossing and turning Lucius pulled him to lie against him with firm instructions to be still and sleep.

The morning was hardly much better, after a quiet breakfast with Lucius they were back in the room they had started searching yesterday. Of course Severus was there but one benefit of being sleep deprived and wound tighter than a pygmy puff trapped in a room with Fred and George was that he couldn't bring himself to feel any sort of awkwardness.

Based on Severus' dourer than usual attitude Percy could guess that he knew only as much as Percy did. Even as the three worked diligently Lucius provided no answers as to why an interesting piece of trivia was so important to him. But he was getting impatient, when they stopped for a light lunch in one of the less formal dining rooms Lucius barely touched his food before returning to the search.

Alone for the first time in over three years Percy was relieved that their parting had been so quiet and to their mutual satisfaction. It would certainly have made the following conversation even more unbearable. The moment Lucius stepped out of the room Severus had was looking up at Percy with an intensity normally reserved for when a student had failed him in a particularly horrible way. "I am no friend of Lucius' Percy. Draco is my godson because Narcissa and I have remained close despite her marriage to a philanderer. To be even more honest the only reason I came was bribery and I suspect Lucius is taking his own sick amusement out of reminding me that no matter how many affairs he has Narcissa won't leave him and I'm obligated to hear her constant complaints on the subject."

Percy made the effort to look up from his plate when it seemed obvious he was expected to respond. "I'm sorry Severus. I don't know why-"

Severus waived him off, "Narcissa knew this would be a problem the day she met him. If she ever thought that Lucius would be monogamous it was delusion on her part. As for why he has deviated from his usual harlots completely lacking any thought I do not know and more importantly I do not give a damn."  
Oddly enough Percy felt reassured at Severus' words. It was something he had always liked about the man, even when others complained about his off putting personality Percy found his biting sarcasm refreshing. Of course he was still being harshly judged by his ex for having an affair with a married man but at this point in Percy's social life saying he had anyone to converse with counted as a plus.

The two finished their meal in silence and that was it for interaction between them as Percy rushed back to continue the search. Re-entering the now familiar room without Severus the only acknowledgement from Lucius was to point out a stack of letters on a small table next to an under stuffed couch that looked promising.

Needing no further encouragement Percy sat down beside him and began reading at random. The letters were from further back than he had previously been searching and dealt more with business than personal affairs. Nothing of particular interest stood out aside from a few most likely illegal uses of tariffs but that was far from surprising. When Lucius had told him how little the Malfoy family actually paid the Ministry in taxes he had nearly fainted. Of course that had most likely changed now that the war was over and it was more important than ever to stay on the light side of the law…

A hand squeezing his thigh snapped Percy out of his idle thoughts. Already blushing in anticipation of chastisement he turned to see Lucius instead eyeing him with a smug triumph. In his hands was a pristine but old piece of paper. A closer look revealed it was a marriage certificate as they had suspected, complete with a date and the signature of Elaine Weasley. The only other oddity was the lack of a signature on the opposite line.

Lucius turned the paper over and read the faded handwriting out loud. "Betrothal between Elaine Weasley and Caspius Malfoy severed." That was it. No further explanations or reasoning behind it. The most likely conclusion being the Weasley's sliding financial state.

Or at least that's what they thought at first, the same envelope that contained the certificate also held several letters exchanged between Caspius Malfoy and Uriel Weasley. Sitting close together Lucius and Percy took turns reading aloud the letters between the two as the revelations became increasingly disturbing.

Apparently the betrothal was supposed to be impossible to call off because an earlier contract signed stated that Caspius Malfoy acknowledged the child of an unmarried Elaine as his own daughter. The law was on the Weasley's side when they appealed to the courts demanding that a marriage take place for the sake of both parties honor. Seemingly with no grudge the Malfoy family had agreed to the marriage until the Weasley's were suddenly on the edge of bankruptcy.

Seeing an opportunity the Malfoy's were the ones to go to the courts to strip the Weasley's of their status because of their new economic state. Because of the Malfoy connections they won their appeal and were no longer required to follow through with any marriage. Several weeks later Caspius Malfoy and Rebecca Lestrange were married. More than enough for a grudge in Percy's opinion.

Surprisingly Lucius agreed. Seeing that Percy was caught off guard by this he explained, "A good Malfoy remembers their children first. My ancestor had no other children besides his daughter and should have behaved reasonably. In my opinion the Malfoy family owes the Weasleys a marriage."

Brandy

Percy woke up feeling as if he had chewed on a piece of cotton and then fallen headfirst down several flights of stairs. Combined with the heaviness in his limbs and a nauseas feeling it was no wonder he couldn't focus on anything besides a swirl of lights and the heaviness in his body. He was moving also but that was all he could describe.

There was a sort of tumbling sensation and then a pop sound just as Percy passed out. The first time he opened his eyes Percy could slowly piece together that the swirling lights had been replaced by darkness and he was lying down. Still feeling completely muddled Percy could only remain conscious for a few moments before falling back into something that felt deeper than sleep only to wake up again for a brief time and repeat the pattern.

It felt like days but only a few hours later while the stars were still out, Percy finally woke up with some awareness of his surroundings only to immediately turn his head to the side and vomit into a conveniently placed wastebasket. He was lying in an unfamiliar bed with stiff sheets and mildew smelling pillows. That was it for observations as Percy failed to find any relief for the pounding headache and constant nausea he was suffering. He didn't immediately black out again but his senses were still far to muddled to make sense of anything and his body felt sluggish and cumbersome.

Far too caught up in empting his stomach Percy didn't notice someone else was in the room until a hand was roughly grabbing his shoulder and jerking him up. A vial was shoved in his face and for a moment Percy had the state of mind to resist until a familiar voice spoke.

"Drink this you idiot child unless you want to die of dehydration." Severus Snape, his former professor? To unbalanced to consider the slight chance of polyjuice potion or simple bad intentions Percy allowed himself to be manhandled into a sitting position against the headboard and swallowed as the vial was tipped back for him. To his great relief the nausea and head pounding dimmed to a bearable level although he was still quite a leap from coherency.

This didn't stop Severus from launching into a tirade as Percy's glassy eyes tried to stay focused on him. Percy couldn't make out most of it although he did understand the general theme of him being an idiot.

If Severus noticed his audience was far from lucid he hardly cared. Carried away by his anger he was soon striding around the room continuing his tirade. Percy sunk back against the headboard and drifted off.

When Percy woke up again the light from the windows on either side of him nearly blinded him before he dove headfirst into the pillow. The entire night was a blur to him and Percy spent the next minute or so trying to piece together what happened. Except he couldn't remember actually going anywhere outside his apartment and he had no idea what he was doing in some strange bedroom. Until proven otherwise he would assume he had been kidnapped and was about to be murdered. All he needed to do was work past the pounding in his head so he could start to care.

That didn't prove terribly difficult when the door was slammed open to reveal his former potions professor carrying a tray with fresh food on it. Feeling incredibly uncomfortable Percy sat up as the tray was placed on his lap and he realized how hungry he was. Until he looked up to see Snape standing over him glaring. "Exactly how much of last night do you remember Weasley?"

Percy's voice cracked as he replied, "Not much sir, just promising to meet Oliver Wood down the street."

"Try harder than that Weasley. A bar correct?" The last sentence was spoken with such disdain that Percy couldn't help but flinch.

"Yes…" There were other bits and pieces, mainly blurry memories of waking up at various intervals of the night dizzy and feeling sick. "I was here earlier?"

"Only due to your incredible luck. Weasley you are an idiot. Eat something while I explain." To scared to explain that he was fairly sure his stomach had shriveled up and died Percy began with a long sip of his tea. Snape's eyes never left his face, especially as he began speaking again. "You are an idiot for not noticing the men that were standing across the street from that bar. An idiot for being oblivious to them following you inside and an even bigger idiot for being willing to drink whatever is shoved in front of you." Severus never raised his voice but he still spoke with the type of cold fury that had Percy paralyzed on the bed.

Looking away Percy felt something twisting inside of him. There were brief images of a gold colored drink being pushed in front of him and feeling so special. Now he just felt sick. Snape was right, he really was an idiot. To add to his mortification and disgust he knew it was abundantly obvious he was just barely holding back tears. Perhaps Snape would appreciate that he wasn't a sobbing mess and leave it at that.

A loud sigh brought Percy's attention back to Snape who was rubbing the bridge of his nose with a look of weariness. "Weasley you are physically fine. And I am assuming you have learned a very valuable lesson."

Percy nodded very quickly.

"Good," Severus actually sat beside Percy on the bed. "Be grateful that lesson did not come at a much higher price. Eat, sleep, do nothing tomorrow or even for the next week and then go out and do something productive. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

Severus picked up the tray and stood up, "Good. The bathroom is the door to your left, feel free to draw yourself a bath. Lunch is at two." Without another word he walked out the door and gently closed it.

Percy spent a the better part of an hour trying to remember everything from last night before giving up with the feeling it wasn't something he wanted to obsess over. Taking comfort in the shuffling he heard downstairs Percy stood up on shaking legs to head outside and thank the man who had saved him properly.

Afternoon Glow

As Percy prepared the coffee he tried to ignore the hammering noise coming from outside. They had been quick to agree it would be best to move to one of the abandoned homes closer to town and with more room. More importantly it was also closer to a scrap yard that Marcus combed for locks and various materials to build a fence out of that spanned the entire property.

Percy had been quite reassured by it, fiddling with the padlocks on the doors and windows. Mrs. Figg had even sat by him in mutual silence as they watched Marcus stack cinderblocks. Of course when he did want to talk she was also there in a way that didn't come naturally to Marcus or Percy. It was good to know that Fenrir was dead and nothing like that will ever happen again but very rarely Percy wanted to express the pain and hurt in an attempt to sort out his feelings.

The wounds were still there of course but with the older woman's help Percy was finding ways to mend them. Marcus on the other hand…

A banging on the door signaled for Percy to take a look through the peephole before undoing the latches to reveal Marcus with tool-belt in hand and his shirt already soaked through with sweat. "You checked before you opened the door?"

"Yes. I'm about to make breakfast, does anything sound appealing?" Even as Percy asked he knew Marcus would say no.

Of course Percy had to be right. Not bothering to step into to doorway Marcus set his tools on the porch and pulled Percy into a tight embrace. "Gudgeon, that dumbass, thinks he found an old map leading to an army supply center."

All Percy could do was sigh as he was let go with the reminder make sure everything was locked and that he wouldn't be alone for long. It was definitely going to be a long day, most likely alone.

Tea and Honey

It was the summer Charlie celebrated his third year on the reservation and the start of July when Percy showed up on his doorstep with a bag bursting at the seams. Barely sparing him a glance the younger Weasley strode inside as if he owned the entire reserve. "I'll make some fresh tea then," Charlie yelled after him. Percy just flung his bag in a corner and headed for the sofa.

Over an hour later Charlie was still in the living room trying unsuccessfully to pry the reason for Percy's foul mood and sudden appearance out of him. Not that he expected to get very far in the first place, no one in the family could really communicate with Percy except Ginny on occasion but that was becoming rarer and rarer as she grew older.

That left Charlie staring at his younger brother as he stirred a spoonful of honey into his tea. "I could always send an owl to Mum you know. Or just send you home because she's probably sitting by the clock worrying to death."

Percy didn't bother looking up from his tea. "I already told Mother I was leaving. And if you ask her what happened I'll tell her about you getting drunk with your friends off fire whiskey before coming home to feel me up."

Charlie flinched at Percy's matter of fact tone knowing he was cornered. That had been one of the stupider moments of his life that really had no explaining without exploring some scary parts of himself. The only option he could see was to completely avoid the topic of incest and go on the offensive. "You're acting awfully petulant today."

He might as well of gone all the way and said childish the way Percy glared at him before stomping off to the study that he had crammed a cot into. The door didn't slam and the honey pot's lid had been placed perfectly but this was still the closest thing to a fit Charlie seen in Percy since he was five.

Well, except for the morning after when Charlie had woken up in the broom shed with a killer headache, a half empty bottle on the ground and Percy glaring at him in the doorway. Charlie still had no idea why Percy hadn't rushed off to tell their parents the moment he was coherent enough to attempt standing.

He suspected he had told Bill because a few minutes after Percy left he was there to help clean up the mess and scold him for being an idiot.

After that summer Bill had returned to his rented out flat and Charlie had went back to work in Romania. Things had been awkward but fine, Percy never wrote and they avoided each other during the holidays. Except for the times they had caught each other staring.

Now Charlie had his teenage brother staying with him and refusing to explain why. He looked at the hallway with dread, deciding to spend a few extra minutes washing dishes the muggle way and think over a better approach for the morning. The twins and Ron were easy, just use a little humor and offer to play a game of quidditch. Actually that mostly worked with Ginny to.

Why did Percy have to be so difficult? Sure he was a bit neurotic and self important but he also had a contagious drive to succeed and the need to go above and beyond. When you considered looks to it was no wonder that Wood kid was always hanging around…

Charlie left the last cup and saucer in the sink and sighed in frustration. Good older brothers did not stand around thinking about their brother's arse. Instead they come up with a plan to get them out of the house.

Nearly an hour later Charlie was sliding into bed still clueless. Sleep didn't come easily and was often interrupted by dreams. The disturbing kind that Charlie thought he had vanquished months ago. After ages of tossing, turning, waking up and forcing himself back to sleep Charlie checked the clock to find only two hours had passed and he felt like garbage.

Fumbling around in the dark he found a sleeping draught leftover from a bad flu and chugged it down without a second thought. Sleep came in an instant just as Percy was stumbling out of the cot and heading for the bathroom.

Hours later Charlie woke up to the sound of water sloshing in the tub. Right. Percy. Best to take things one step at a time, starting with breakfast. Not bothering to change out of his nightshirt Charlie headed for the kitchen area. Stopping in front of the bathroom door he knocked a few times before calling out, "Breakfast in half an hour Percy. Then we have to talk."

No response, not that Charlie was surprised. He continued on and started gathering ingredients for something simple. Of course growing up with Molly Weasley for a mother something simple ended up taking the better part of an hour before everything was set on the table and Charlie was yelling for Percy to get out of the tub. No response again. Ten more minutes than Charlie was banging on the door. "Foods gonna get cold Percy and I have to leave for work soon." He could always eat quickly and leave before he had to see too much of his brother but that would leave him a nervous mess if he didn't do anything to resolve this. Nervous wrecks do not do well around dragons.

More banging on the door until finally Charlie was forced to open the door and face Percy still huddled in his ancient claw-foot tub. "Go away." If Percy was anywhere else that would have sounded very intimidating but soaking wet and squinting without his glasses Charlie was far from put off.

"Just come out and eat some breakfast Percy."

Percy looked at him as if he was a dimwitted toddler. "You can't make me."

Charlie quickly went over his options. Yes technically he could force Percy but that would most likely mean grabbing him and somehow wrapping him in a towel at least. Without meaning to his eyes wandered to where Percy's legs dipped under the water.

Weak, weak person that he was Charlie turned around, "Fine. But we're still talking when I get home."

Skipping breakfast he was halfway out the door when he heard Percy shout out. "About why I'm here or the unresolved sexual tension?"

Taking several deep breathes Charlie walked back to the bathroom, keeping the door shut this time when he spoke. "Both I think."

Several moments later and after the sound of water splashing against the floor, "I think…the two might be closely related."

"Maybe." Charlie stood next to the door leaning more on the wall as he imagined Percy rummaging through his cabinet for a towel. "I should go. We'll talk later."

"Later then," With that said Charlie all but ran out the door.

Work was alright. Several times his coworkers asked if he was completely over that nasty bout of flu. Charlie muddled his way through with unusual impatience.

Soon enough he was home. Of course all the food from that morning was put away and Charlie would have never been able to tell the bathroom had ever been used if not for his own memories. That left him to find Percy in his bedroom looking through the junk on his dresser.

Being the older one Charlie felt obligated to break the silence. "Where do you want to start?"

Of course being a perfectionist Percy would want to lead things. "How about with me not thinking you were that drunk and me not doing anything to stop you?" Abandoning a charm bracelet Ginny had made when she was seven Percy sat on the bed and invited Charlie to join him. "I'm sure we could go further back if we tried but that sounds like the best place to begin."

The rush of terror and excitement as he sat down next to Percy reminded Charlie of the first time he had approached a dragon. "Sounds perfect."

Ruth's Best

It was two weeks before Ruth's eleventh birthday and she was playing in the garden while Daddy was at work and Father was in the kitchen fixing them lunch. Kneeling in the dirt her new buckled shoes from Grandma were getting dirty as she held a carefully chosen stick and concentrated on a row of ants below her.

Ruth was in the middle of trying a new way of waving her hands when she heard the gravel crunch behind her and Father setting a plate on the rickety little table kept outside. "I'm almost done playing. Promise."

It certainly got harder to try when Father's shadow loomed over her and mostly blocked her view of the ants. But it was worth it when she was picked up and carried over to sit with him with her sandwich. "What were you playing Ruth?"

"Magic. Last time Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry came over they told me Lily accidentally turned her puppy green. So I'm going to make those ants over there purple. On purpose." Reminded of her goal Ruth quickly ate her lunch while Father stayed quiet and she rushed back to work. She only had a couple more days until Lily was coming over and she wanted everything to be perfect.

Barely any time had passed before Father was telling her it was time to go back inside to finish her reading. When Ruth asked politely she was allowed to follow downstairs to her comfy chair in the corner where she could watch Father make potions for people.

This was a special privilege that Daddy didn't even get to do all of the time so Ruth was very careful with her reading before shutting her book and watching Father. It was still fun to go to work with Daddy but Father got to make things explode or turn different colors. Of course Ruth still loved animals best and sometimes wanted to join Uncle Charlie with the dragons except that would be too far away so she and Roxanne had decided they would run their own dragon reserve in England.

Thoughts wandering Ruth still kept a close eye on her father as he carefully pulled a small cauldron from one of the higher shelves along with several jars and bottles. With great care Severus choose several other tools for potions making. Catching on to what her father was doing Ruth watched with dread until Severus motioned for her to come closer.

"Do I have to?" Ruth had inherited none of Severus' talent for potions making and no matter how often she practiced nothing ever went right. Beakers cracked, bowls spilled, care and precision didn't matter because she always ended up with the same grey sludge anyways.

It was a miserable experience for both of them but that didn't stop Severus from insisting that Ruth join him at his work station. "Start by crushing the foxglove."

"I know what to do!" Ruth snapped Surprisingly Severus didn't say a thing even as Ruth realized how unacceptable her tone had been. As always he stood on the other side of the table watching as she struggled through the steps of a basic stomach settling potion.

Ruth knew from the start she would do her very best and she remembered Grandma always telling her that being the most important thing. They never told her but Ruth knew her parents disagreed. So that meant Ruth needed to do her best and succeed.

And she could, Ruth was the best at maths, reading and history, even her teacher had to admit she had a head start on the Hogwarts curriculum. That wasn't it either, Ruth practiced with the calligraphy set she had been given constantly.

She couldn't ride a broom but that was alright, she would be too busy with gobstones to waste away on sports. Nothing interesting happened to her either but she didn't mind after Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny had to replace the faucet in the bathroom after Albus blew it up. All Ruth needed was potions. It didn't make sense; she followed all of the steps perfectly so she has to get perfect results.

With extra focus Ruth held the newt extract over her cauldron while stirring clockwise. Two drops exactly and wait exactly twenty seconds. Then it would turn a light gray. Ruth held her breath as she started counting five, six, seven…

"Go upstairs and say hello to your father." One look from Severus stopped Ruth from insisting on waiting for the results and she scurried upstairs. Carefully shutting the door she found Daddy by the front door hanging his cloak carefully.

Next it's the stack of papers that go on the table and Daddy turns to her with a smile and hug. "Hello dear, its curry for dinner tonight."

Ruth grabbed his hand before Percy could turn off into the kitchen. "I made another potion Daddy. Except Father wouldn't let me see how it turned out."

"Oh? Is he still downstairs?"

"Yes Daddy."

Percy handed her a bag and headed towards the lab. "Why don't you put this away while I get him then?"

"Yes Daddy." Ruth went into the kitchen and did as she was told then waited patiently. After several minutes sitting at the table she looked around the spotless kitchen for something to clean before giving up and heading down the hallway.

Without hesitance she knocked several times before announcing, "Daddy, Father, I'm hungry." She knocked twice more before Daddy opened the door and quickly picked her up to her surprise. Peering over Daddy's shoulder Ruth saw Father with a tightlipped smile.

Daddy is the one to speak as the three of them head for the living room. "Then why don't you go to your grandparent's house? Everything will be ready and you can be eating in a few minutes."

"What about you and Father?"

Percy didn't answer as he set her down near the fireplace and sat down at the table to begin writing a note. Instead Severus spoke up while rummaging for some flu powder. "We are going to talk about mundane, adult things that a little girl wouldn't be interested in."

Ruth looked between her parents and frowned. "But I'm not a little girl I'm your little girl."

Percy stood up next to his husband and spoke to Ruth, "We know that, which is why you're the best." Severus handed her a pinch of flu powder while Percy kneeled in front of her to put the note in her pocket. "Now be good alright?"

"Alright," Ruth was still suspicious as she stood in the fireplace up until she was flying by and realized it. It was almost time for her to go to Hogwarts with all of her cousins and friends, and her parents had to plan for that.

Whipped Butter

Percy sat at the kitchen table staring at the tub of butter he had helped make that morning as the rest of his family stood around him arguing. It was odd really because they all seemed to agree with each other and Percy already knew they needed to save the best of their reasoning for when he disagreed.

Oh that would be messy, tears from his mother and Ginny included. Fred, George and Ron would most likely refuse to speak to him except insults while his older brothers and father would try and fail to understand.

Was it really that complicated? Percy had been born on a farm but he didn't want to spend the rest of his life in the countryside. Marcus, no matter how crude and socially inept provided that opportunity. A servant of the Flint family had just left minutes ago after explaining the offer: Percy would accompany the Flint heir to a prestigious academy in the capital and in return it would be his job to keep Marcus 'entertained' and away from houses of ill-repute that could cause a scandal or worse, such as an unmentionable disease or child.

Fine, Percy didn't feel entirely comfortable with it but it was his only chance for a real education and it wasn't an uncommon arrangement. He could see that it was going to be another dry year and even with everyone working they were going to go hungry. One less mouth to feed and with Percy's physique they weren't exactly losing anything in labor.

Right now it wasn't looking like the rest of the Weasley family shared his view. In a rare show of rage Arthur Weasley was banging on the table as he yelled for everyone's attention. When all was silent he spoke at a more reasonable volume. "I have never," THUMP, "Been so insulted," THUMP, "In my life!" By then the table was creaking from the impact.

From behind Percy, Ginny's unusually quiet voice spoke up. "Are you ok Percy? What do you think of all this?"

Percy looked up from the floor to meet the eyes of his family. "I think, if father keeps that up with the table we're going to be cleaning this week's butter off the floor." Now it was time to get the hard part out of the way before someone stormed Flint manor with a torch. "Also I'm going."

Later that night, after Percy had locked himself in his room and kept his mind off the sobs of various family members with careful weighing of benefits he couldn't help but feel that Ron grabbing the butter dish and throwing it against the wall had been a little over the top. He would make them see after he had left that it was all for the best. Someday they would admire him for the sacrifices he made to better the Weasley name. Until then he would have to be content on his own.

Moonglow

"I will ruin you."

Most men would have withered under the intense glare of Lucius, especially given the resemblance he bore to a king lying against the headboard of his appropriately elegant bed. Percy was tempted to as well, even as he stood back against the window across the room a part of him wanted to crawl next to his lover, kneel between his feet and beg for forgiveness.

It was terrifying how much power the man had over him. Of course Percy knew Lucius was a driven man prone to possessiveness but he never expected to fear the person he was in a relationship with. But he did, which gave him all the motivation to look Lucius in the eyes and speak. "I know."

If Lucius was surprised by Percy's tenacity he hid it well behind his contempt. "I will never forgive you or cease to make you regret this."

Even as Percy realized the threats being told to him by someone he loved were very true he couldn't help feeling a weight that had long ago settled in the pit of his stomach move to the more comfortable place across his shoulders. Doors shut in his face despite his outstanding performance and abilities? Whispers and rumors where ever he went? It would be just like old times.

The nostalgia for his younger more innocent days actually allowed Percy to manage to tense smile. "I'm still leaving you Lucius. I can't do this anymore."

Percy waited patiently, seeing flashes of confusion and even sadness. Not for the first time he felt sorry that Lucius never allowed himself to be anything he perceived as weak. Yet he couldn't lie to himself any longer and deny that more than a small amount of cruelness was a part of Lucius, one he couldn't bend to anymore without breaking completely.

The tenseness in the air spiked when Lucius suddenly and quickly left the bed to stand by Percy next to the open window looking out the moonlit garden. There was an unfamiliar tenderness that kept Percy from running when Lucius reached for him, wrapping him in his arms completely.

It was deception Percy reminded himself, pure and simple deception, even as he leaned into the embrace and allowed Lucius to put their foreheads together. "I am willing to forget this Percy. Come back to bed now."

This was it; Percy could see how easy Lucius was making this and ached to obey him. Cold words and minds games in exchange a warm bed and the occasional tenderness, an indulgence in Lucius' eyes. He had endured for so long would it be that difficult to keep going?

Now it was Lucius' turn to wait as Percy rethought his actions. Eventually Percy pulled away from his grip and took several steps back towards the door.

"I love you Lucius." With that said Percy left, not doubting for a moment that Lucius would follow through with all of his threats. He may be forced from his job eventually, find it difficult to find a place to live. But at least he knew his actions had an impact on Lucius, that after so many years his leaving could hurt the older man.

Perhaps that would be comforting someday. Or fuel his regret, either way it would take time that Percy couldn't spend trapped in something toxic.

Agave

Percy huffed in annoyance when another flurry of wet leaves decided to attack his book, forcing him to once again pick them out of his way while silently complaining about the wind. It was all Oliver's fault of course. Percy knew this was no weather for going outside but Oliver had insisted that the summer was slipping away from them after their return from Italy. Of course Percy had pointed out that this was September in England, summer had long passed. Somehow he still ended up outside, miserable and just trying to stay mostly dry under a tree with his book while Oliver ran around like a madman.

Speaking of Oliver had popped up behind Percy to wrap his arms around him just as Percy was settling back into his book. "Do you know what Agave is?"

"The daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia."

Percy could feel the confused blink behind him. "Who?"

"Also an Amazon and one of the Danaids." Answer given Percy assumed he could safely ignore Oliver and return to his book.

Unfortunately Oliver wasn't satisfied with that information and felt the need to sit in a more comfortable position with Percy in his lap before offering his answer. "It's a type of plant, well, a bunch of plants. And they all grow in the desert somewhere in North America."

Giving up on his book Percy leaned back and decided to humor his boyfriend. "That's nice Oliver." No it wasn't because Percy knew where this was going.

True to Percy's knowledge Oliver was soon crawling in front of him with an eager look in his eyes, "I bet it's really warm there to."

"We don't have time Oliver." That was more than true, with less than a week until their last year of school and Percy's mind was already craving the structure. Not to mention other things keeping him home, "My parents are already mad enough over Italy. We should have told them we're dating."

Far from sorry over their deception Oliver just shrugged and sprawled out on the grass in front of Percy. "They never would have let you spend the summer living in sin. And you deserve it for not telling them when we started dating last year."

Percy caught the slight hurt in Oliver's voice but he still felt completely justified in his decision. "After what Bill went through? It's no wonder Charlie, Fred and George are single."

This bit of information took Oliver's mind off desert plants. "I think Charlie's straight up asexual love, and what do you mean Fred and George? I've seen them in Hogsmeade with Lee and-"

"No. Stop speaking now Oliver or I will be obligated to care about my siblings' love lives; which is something I'm just not willing to do at this point in my life. Not with N.E.W.T.S this year. Then I have my career in the Ministry, and hopefully a long, agonizing death before I have to care about whose dating who."

Oliver nodded in agreement then got a dreamy look on his face. "You forgot marrying a world famous quidditch star and having lots of kids."

Somehow the two had gotten to the point where Percy was pulled down to lay half on top of Oliver. Percy sighed in contentment before making some shifts in his outline for life, "You have got to be the only teenage boy that doesn't wake up in a cold sweat at the thought of babies."

"Only because I'll be really far away when Snape learns he has to teach a Weasley and Wood all in one." That was an appealing thought, Percy could never disrespect a teacher but he could resent horrible treatment based on his name and house.

Book completely forgotten Percy gently set it aside and wrapped an arm around Oliver, "N.E.W.T.S first, have you even thought about a study schedule? You're going to need a plan for after quidditch you know."

"Ugh. What about the agave?"

"Study and I'll get you a cactus for Christmas."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I thought I had posted all the other chapter but then The Twin points out I haven't. Well, I'm to lazy to post all the other chapters individually so I just lumped 3-8 together.

**Author's Note:**

> Whew, it's been a while since I wrote this but I still like the rough edges. Will update within a couple of days. However, if you are really impatient I go by the same username on AFF and fanfiction.net and have seven chapters posted there. One odd thing I've noticed posting to sites where it's copy and paste is indenting tends to get lost. Which is fine except for editing the entire chapter and pressing the enter key after every paragraph is kind of a pain. Sadly for someone who loves to type I am amazingly incompetent when it comes to managing Microsoft Word or any sort of html. Any help on how to get a nice space after every paragraph automatically or fixing any random mistakes you may have noticed?


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